From the Future With Love
by xXRandomnessPrevailsXx
Summary: Nigou goes missing one day during practice and Kagami is sent to go out looking for Seirin's beloved Number 16. What Kuroko doesn't expect, however, is that the red-headed ace also brings back a boy around their age who is hell-bent on getting them together. And it doesn't help that he claims to be their son. —AU!Future! Post-Winter Cup. KagaKuro, amongst others. Includes HyuuRiko.
1. Chapter 1: Dropping the Bomb

**Hello there, how do you do? This is the first time I've ever shipped two guys together and also the first time I've ever written a yaoi fic, so I hope it turns out satisfactorily.**

**But I ship this so hard it hurts. XD  
**

**This chapter is dedicated to jenrose257, who heard the story first. Hope you like it!  
**

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**Chapter One:**

**Dropping the Bomb**

* * *

It was a regular day for the members of Seirin High School's boys' basketball club. Nothing out of the ordinary; an uptight captain yelling at them, a scheming coach plotting something akin to torture, the sound of a basketball slamming against the ground between the players on the court. Spring was around the corner, marking the end of the school year and foretelling of a summer full of hellish training camps.

The team took a break. Koganei wheezed on his way to the water bottles, collapsing dramatically on the bench. Kiyoshi calmly sat next to him, swabbing at his own face with a towel. Hyuuga sulked over, wiping down his smudged glasses with care. The other Juniors joined them, warily watching their kouhai.

"Wh-what the hell..." Koganei whined, "Kagami and Kuroko—have gotten—a whole lot—faster!"

He sat up and attempted to maintain his breathing while he recalled the match they played (and lost) against the Freshmen. The unusual pair had definitely gotten stronger in the weeks that followed after the Winter Cup. Sure, it had gone well: they couldn't have been happier whether or not they won and Kiyoshi's knee was holding up better than doctors had previously thought, but still. Their run 'n' gun tactics were definitely challenged and pushed. It was hard enough to steal the ball and get into the rhythm of the match, but Kuroko's passes were improving in speed and timing, making it difficult to judge where the ball was most of the time. On top of that, most the passes went to Kagami, who was refining his speed despite the caution paid to how far he was pushing his legs. Worst of all, perhaps, was the fact that their centerpiece was Furihata. The timid boy was admittedly a spazz, yes, but he was attentive and more of a calculating demon than he let on. Not a single risky play was made, leaving a near impossible chance of scoring. To be honest, Koganei didn't understand how they had gotten 43 points off their 77.

The Juniors continued to mull over the small details of the game, making notes of how they and their kouhai could improve. It was relatively quiet, so it should have been easy to concentrate...

But it was too quiet for things to be alright. Hyuuga glanced over at Riko, who shrugged nonchalantly. Instead, they focused on the Freshmen. Furihata and the others were going about business as usual, but Kagami was oddly silent, sitting on the bench as his gaze darted around the courts in search for Kuroko.

"Normally, he'd be bothering me with that mutt at his side," the two-toned redhead muttered. "Where is he?"

"I'm right here, Kagami-kun."

The taller boy let out a yelp and turned on his friend, grasping the bluenet's head in his hand. "What the hell, Kuroko! Stop doing that!"

Kuroko gripped Kagami's hand with his own, failing to make him let go. "I wasn't trying, Kagami-kun. But more importantly, Nigou is missing." The ace's grip slackened.

"What do you mean?" Kagami wasn't particularly worried for the dog, but for the teammate in front of him; Nigou was, after all, the beloved team mascot.

"Normally, he's here by the bench while we practice, but he's not here or in the locker room. And no, he's not in the shower room, Kagami-kun."

Riko rushed over, concerned for the well-being of their pet. "Puppy's really missing?" she fussed. "He could have gotten out! He could be anywhere!" Hyuuga patted her on the head, consoling her. She whipped around and pointed an accusing finger at the ace angrily. "It's all your fault Puppy's gone, Bakagami!"

"Wait, what? How is this my fault?" he yelled back. He'd rather not have anything to do with the dog at all. Hell, he couldn't even _look _at the thing without freaking out! How could it be _his _fault the damn mutt was gone?

Kuroko's sorrowful, condemning expression stopped him from retorting further. "Well, Kagami-kun _does_ hate him. Maybe Nigou didn't want to inconvenience you anymore and left."

_Oh, geez. Here comes a migraine_, Kagami thought to himself. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. There wasn't any other Goddamned way to get out of this mess. "Fine," he spat, "I'll look for the stupid mutt." With that, he trudged out of the building.

Kiyoshi sighed. "Now is there any particular reason that you sent Kagami out looking for Nigou or...?"

"No," chirped Riko.

"We're guilt-tripping him," Kuroko explained. "He's too nice for his own good sometimes, so Coach suggested we make him do something he doesn't want to do in order to test his level of resistance."

Mitobe sent a sympathetic glance towards the door. "He didn't try too hard to say no," Koganei translated.

Riko snickered behind a hand, causing Hyuuga to step back cautiously. "Riko, what are you planning?" he ventured. He had only seen her like this once before, right after Winter Cup, when she was pressuring him into finally getting the balls to ask her out—

"Oh, hell." Hyuuga's eyes met his girlfriend's dark, glistening own. He shivered in anticipation of the chaos to come. Kiyoshi stood off the the side with an indiscernible expression, making it difficult to determine if he had his own vague inklings of what was going on or if he was simply lost.

"Hmm?" Riko buzzed innocently. "What do you mean, Junpei?" The captain shook his head. It was better to leave Riko do her matchmaking devilry. After all, the one time she did it for personal gain, it worked. _Quite beautifully, too_, Hyuuga noted shyly.

A lengthy creak from the door caught their attention, Kagami slinking in nervously not too long after. He looked out of sorts, even more than anyone would have expected from simply holding Nigou. Then again, he shuffled inside awkwardly empty-handed.

Kuroko was a bit annoyed. He knew Kagami didn't like dogs, but coming back so soon with no visible results was unacceptable. His eyebrow twitched and he scowled lightly at his partner. "Kagami-kun," Kuroko reprimanded, "did you even try?"

However, Kagami was unfazed by the waves of disappointment from his Shadow and from Coach. Jerking his head awkwardly towards the rest of the team, they could see he appeared beyond uncomfortable. "Er... I did... That is, I did find the dog, but—"

"No buts!" Riko yelled, holding out her hands in preparation for holding Nigou. "Now where's Puppy?"

"Right here," a voice answered. Riko paused where she was, mid-stride, caught between fright and confusion. The voice sounded a bit like Kuroko, but he was still standing next to Kagami and the sound came from the doorway. Nigou came bounding in like his usual self, the Number 16 jersey blurring in his sprint towards Riko. The coach picked him up, wondering if she had been hearing things. There was no way a dog could speak, right?

And as suddenly as he had come, Nigou pricked his ears towards the door and jumped out of her arms, eagerly greeting the stranger who strolled onto the courts. The boy looked about the same age as them, sporting a tight, sleeveless teal athletic shirt and dark gray sweat pants.

Riko was surprised; even vaguely, she could gauge that his muscles were well-developed and that his numbers were of a familiarly monstrous magnitude. And then she saw something she almost missed. Out of the blue, the data _disappeared. _Her eyes weren't dysfunctional, since she could still see the vague numbers of all the other boys around her, but it seemed the harder she tried to see the stranger's data, the blurrier it became to measure his strength.

Riko was intrigued; this had never happened before. How could it be that he had no data when his levels were so insane just a moment sooner? Then it hit her, the reason why she felt as though she'd just had _déjà vu_. He was scarily similar to both Kagami Taiga and Kuroko Tetsuya... in a way she knew was impossible.

"Who are you?" she asked uneasily. The stranger smiled at her slightly, kindly, his dark red-maroon-black hair spilling out messily to either side of his head for the most part, akin to a dog's flattened ears. He adjusted Nigou in his arms and moved forward, one arm extended in greeting. Riko gave a baffled gaze at his hand before she processed that he wanted a handshake. _An American gesture used when meeting someone._

"My apologies, I'm Naoya," he replied. He met Riko's gaze confidently, another sign that he was used to the Western way of things (1). But that wasn't the most shocking thing, however; his sky blue orbs had a nearly identical resemblance to Nigou's eyes, who in turn looked like...

Riko quickly shifted her gaze to Kagami, who was sitting on the bench as though defeated, Kuroko kneeling, trying to console his Light and figure out what was wrong. Kuroko felt Riko staring and glanced up at her briefly, then stole a glimpse at Naoya, who met his gaze in return. Naoya's face brightened up at this and he trotted over, Nigou squirming excitedly in his hold. The Phantom Player stood to address him.

"Thank you for bringing Nigou back, Naoya-kun." Kuroko held out his hand, expecting a handshake to be exchanged as what happened with Riko. In place of a handshake, however, the bluenet found himself on the receiving end of a one-armed hug. A bit flustered at the sudden display of affection, he froze where he was, eyes darting to Kagami for help. Unfortunately, the ace was still struggling with whatever it was he had encountered while he was out looking for Nigou. Naoya, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice or care.

He flashed Kuroko a particularly brilliant smile. _"It's nice to meet you,__ Mom!" _he exclaimed in English. It took a while for Kuroko to process what he had said (even though he was good at English, it was still different to be speaking it when caught off-guard), but once he gathered his wits, the passer understood why Kagami had gone somewhat brain-dead.

_"It's nice to meet you, too, but I'm not your mom,"_ Kuroko responded. There was a slight notch in his eyebrow; this was quite the cryptic first encounter, but the honest gleam in Naoya's eyes told him he wasn't lying. Even though that made no sense whatsoever.

By that time, the sempai had figured out for themselves what Naoya and Kuroko had said and were going on a rampage.

"K-K-K-Kuroko!" Riko shrieked, feeling overly stupefied and slightly betrayed that he was already at that point in a relationship. "You had a kid? What? How? When? With _who?"_

Though the conversation was in Japanese, Naoya didn't miss a beat. He pointed at Kagami, still on the bench due to his meltdown, and answered, _"With Dad, of course."_

Kuroko wasn't easily surprised, but this... This was an entirely, completely, utterly unconventional predicament. Riko's frantic screaming wasn't helping.

"Coach, please be logical about this," Kuroko scolded, "There's no way that Naoya-kun is my kid, let alone with Kagami-kun. For one, we're both guys... obviously. For two, Naoya-kun seems to be the same age as us. And for three, Kagami-kun and I aren't like that."

Calming down, Riko muttered, "Not yet, you aren't..." She cleared her throat then, recollecting herself. "Then who is he really, and how did he get here?"

"He—" They turned to Kagami, who was breaking out of his unresponsive stupor. The ace drew a deep breath and looked up at Kuroko, meeting his eyes. Involuntarily, the Phantom Player gulped. Kagami making eye contact wasn't a good sign.

_"He's not lying, Kuroko. I know this is going to sound stupid, but it's the truth. Naoya's our kid from the future of something like a parallel or alternate universe."_ The rest of Seirin stared at him in incredulous silence, not quite catching the full translation but understanding that it was disquieting.

"Kagami-kun—" Kuroko started.

Kagami held up a hand, stopping his Shadow from speaking. "It's the truth, Tetsuya. Just _look _at him."

With that, Riko gave a muffled squeak and the spotlight went to the newcomer. His hair was the darker shade of Kagami's two-toned vermillion locks, he had the same tanned skin, and his eyes were practically a carbon copy of Kuroko's own skyward cerulean. Naoya flashed a quick smile, then turned his attention to the fidgeting puppy he was carrying. The others were utterly lost, the shock of Naoya's existence combined with the mostly English conversation overwhelming them.

"Kagami-kun—" the bluenet tried.

_"No, Tetsuya, don't. He... he has my ring."_

Panicked, Kuroko's hand flew to his shorts pocket, checking for the keepsake Kagami had entrusted to him. It was still there. Naoya snickered, setting Nigou on the ground—though the pup kept inching towards an increasingly skittish ace. He turned to his "mom" and reached for a pendant hidden underneath his shirt. On the thin silver chain were two things: one was a metallic dog tag with Seirin's 16 emblazoned on it, the other a thick ring that was identical to the band that belonged to Kagami. Kuroko pulled the one from his pocket and compared them; identical, even to the engraving inside (2), save for a single word.

_For Himuro T. • Always my older sister_

_"Yeah,"_ Naoya explained. _"The Himuro Tatsuya you know is different from Auntie Tatsumi. But Grannie Alex still loved her and Dad the same in my world."_

With a resigned sigh, Kuroko glanced at Kagami. This was far too elaborate to be a stupid kid's prank, and Naoya wasn't lying; Nigou would have gone berserk if he sensed even the slightest bit of reason to lose trust with someone. In many ways, that explained Momoi really well.

_"Fine, Kagami-kun, but that still doesn't give him a reason to be here."_ He glanced over at their "son" with a critical eye; he _was_ eerily and otherwise inexplicably similar to both of them. Naoya fiddled with his—or rather, Kagami's—ring, mulling over something in his head.

Riko gasped, seeming to realize something very important, but kept her thoughts to herself nevertheless. She anxiously shuffled where she stood, catching Naoya's attention.

"Do you have something to say, Riko-ba-chan (3)?"

If she had any qualms about being called "aunt," she didn't show it, nor did she seem bothered by the fact that he had just spoken in Japanese. "Hmm?" she trilled, feigning ignorance. "No, no I don't. But why _are _you here, Naoya-kun?" She knew he knew she was plotting something, but he opted to trust her to her own devices and played along.

"I'm here to get these two together!" he declared, putting an arm around each of his parents.

Kagami's face exploded in embarrassment, flushing a shade of red brighter than his hair. His mouth opened and closed without emitting any noise, and he refused to even do so much as peek in Kuroko's general direction.

Surprisingly enough, the short bluenet was just as flustered, choosing to study the laces of his shoes. The flattering rosy blush on his face had some kind of connotation that Riko took as suggestive, if her incessant squealing was any indication.

"This is highly illogical," Kuroko muttered. "How do you even know what goes on in this world, and how did you get here in the first place?"

Naoya released his parents and scratched his head, sighing heavily. Kagami and Kuroko made a point of putting some distance between themselves, much to Riko's chagrin. "I hate explaining this stuff," he admitted, "Ryuu is better at making sense of these kinds of situations, so it'd be better for all of us if you could wait until we find him." He sat on the floor and beckoned Nigou over.

Kagami's mouth went dry as he struggled to find his trembling voice. "Naoya, who is Ryuu?"

"One of the other nine that came with me," the boy answered plainly, shaking paws with Nigou. He glanced up at Kagami briefly and chuckled at his expression. "Not all yours, don't worry, Tou-san (4). Ryuu is someone else's kid. He's really smart, considering he's the one that got all of us here in the first place. We got scattered, but we're all here."

Furihata found his ground, daring to make an inquiry despite the mass confusion swirling in his head. "So whose kid is he, if he isn't Kagami's and Kuroko's?"

Naoya asked, "Is there a Furihata here that anyone knows of?" _Oh no_. The boy in question swallowed dryly.

"That would be me..."

Naoya smiled, seeing the resemblance now that Furihata stepped forward. "Congrats, you're one of Ryuu's parents. Technically, you're not, but basically, you are."

"Am I his dad?" the brunet quivered.

Rubbing Nigou's belly, Naoya smirked a little to himself. "His mom."

Furihata paled. The others wished to console him, but felt they had no place to say anything; after all, none of _their_ kids had suddenly appeared from the future of an alternate universe. Instead, they wished him strength in silence.

"I think it'll be clear who his dad is when you meet him," Naoya reassured him. "Not to be rude, but he'll be fine. He's got a good head on his shoulders. I'm more concerned about my sister." Kuroko's eyes widened and he had the urge to confront this issue alongside Kagami, but he fought to avoid looking at the red-haired ace.

Blanching, Kagami inquired, "You have a sister?"

"Yeah, younger," he informed the team. "Well, realistically speaking, I have a sister and a maybe-sister." He met Kuroko's eyes intentionally, hoping to drop a hint that would save him from any awkward justification. It had worked; the bluenet reddened and glanced down to his shoes again.

"A maybe-sister?" Kagami put out, puzzled. _Oh poop._ He'd forgotten he was in his dad's presence as well.

Naoya breathed out, hoping no drastic reactions would take place. Meeting Kagami's fiery eyes, he reported, _"Mom has a bun in the oven."_

Promptly following the response, Kagami's gaze flitted over Kuroko's stomach before his face went crimson and he passed out.

* * *

**(1) looking someone in the eye: In Japan, it's considered polite not to look someone directly in the eye unless you're good friends or trying to intimidate them. In America, making eye-contact is a must if you want to come across as polite.**

**(2) the engraving inside the ring: I know Kagami's and Himuro's rings don't have engravings in them in the anime and manga, but for this story, they will.**

**(3) Riko-ba-chan: The Japanese equivalent of Auntie Riko.**

**(4) Tou-san: The Japanese equivalent of Dad.**

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**Okay, I know the ending kinda sucks (IMO) and that the parallel future still has a gaping hole, but I do have this planned out, so please bear with me!**

**In related news, we'll be meeting the other kids and finding out who their parents are, so I can guarantee it'll be... fun.**

**Anyway, let me know what you thought! If you loved it, hated it, were indifferent, have suggestions, caught typos, whatever. Just go ahead and feel free to drop a review. Thanks!**

**~Randomness**


	2. Chapter 2: Twice the Trouble

**Thank you all so much for the positive reviews! I wasn't expecting such awesome feedback when I woke up the morning after I posted the story and now I'm super pumped to keep writing! I'll do my best and try to incorporate more humor (though TBH I don't think I'm that funny).  
**

**I did respond to all the replies at the end of this chapter, so be sure to check it out (if you want)!  
**

**This chapter is dedicated to everyone who followed, faved, and reviewed. (There are so many of you...!) Thanks for enjoying my story!  
**

**Oh, and yes, Riko does ship KagaKuro, if that wasn't obvious in the first chapter. X]**

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**Chapter 2**

**Twice the Trouble**

* * *

It had been almost three full days since Naoya had found his parents in this world. He smiled to himself, thinking to how differently his own life had been just under 72 hours ago. Before coming here and announcing his intentions so blatantly, things hadn't been going well, to say the least.

Shaking his head, he willed the dark thoughts away. This was no time for negativity, not now that he'd found his parents in this world. Naoya shifted on the rather plain couch, finding that his foot had lost feeling after being sat upon for so long.

The little electronic device in his hands was sleek, brand-new, purchased especially for him by both Kagami and Kuroko. It was a silvery blue color, thin and light. He'd messed around with it for some time in order to get accustomed to its functions. It was relatively simple, considering all he really needed access to were his contacts, call history, and text messages.

Naoya swept his eyes over the modest apartment his father owned. Kuroko's parents would question the traveler's living with his mother, but Kagami had offered his place instead. After all, _his_ parents couldn't really say anything if they weren't there. Bored, he flipped through some TV channels, but a majority of the programs were soap operas and toddlers' shows. Daring to check the time, Naoya flipped open his cell phone: it read _Thursday, 1:57 PM_. A groan echoed through the space; Seirin didn't let out until 4:10, and even then he'd have to wait for his parents to collect him so they could do a bit of shopping together. Kagami's clothes were a little too big for him and he couldn't even get his head through most collars of Kuroko's shirts. Luckily, he only ate a decent amount, nothing like his dad's monstrous appetite. That would have killed both his parents' wallets.

But the wait proved too long. Having already spent yesterday and the day before that the same way was a real drag.

_And it was lonely._

Four minutes later, Naoya's legs itched and he wanted to do _something_. Slipping on a fresh pair of socks and donning his shoes, he headed out towards Seirin High School. It wasn't that far a walk, and he could seek out Nigou for a playmate. The traveler closed the door softly behind him, mindful of the spare key Kagami had given him, and ventured out into the glory of fresh air and sunlight.

* * *

It was only an eight-minute commute to Seirin's grounds, but then again, Naoya had jogged most of the way. He went around the main building and headed for the gymnasium. From there, he could navigate towards the locker rooms and fetch Nigou for some quality time together.

At least, that's what he had planned.

On his path behind the main building, someone yelled and prevented him from advancing any further.

Naoya turned to see that he was being approached by a stocky man in his let 50s who was fuming. "You there!" he bellowed, "Get back to class this instant! The rest of the staff may tolerate you young people and your incessant wanderlust, but not me!"

"Uh..." he stuttered. God help him, dealing with people wasn't his strong point. "I'm not a student here, actually."

The man gave him a flabbergasted stare. "Then go back to your own school and get back to class there!"

Naoya rubbed the back of his neck. Kagami and Kuroko were going to _murder _him later, but he couldn't lie to anyone, not even for their sake. "I don't go to school anywhere," he admitted. The teacher looked about ready to choke on his own tongue.

"Sir, let me explain first! I just got here yesterday."_ Not a lie._ "My parents haven't had the chance to enroll me yet." _Not really a lie._ "And they're busy today, so I came to check out the premises." _It was a bit of a stretch, but still not a lie._

The man's pallor returned to normal and his expression softened a bit. "If that's the case, then I can escort you to the front office and get your papers filled out to some extent. When your parents have time, they can come in to finish up, but you can still attend classes regardless. If you hurry, you can catch the last period of the day."

Cold sweat prickled the nape of his neck and his temples; Naoya couldn't argue his way out without being inconspicuous. He had little choice but to play along. "Th-thank you, sir."

The man started on their way to the main office, snorting at Naoya's response. "No need for the 'sir,' boy. I'm Fujimoto-sensei."

"Naoya..." he replied shakily. "Kagami Naoya."

"Kagami?" Fujimoto echoed, holding open the door for Naoya. "Well, this will be interesting." Naoya's neck prickled again.

"Sensei?" The dread pooling in his stomach only continued to build. He should have just stayed put at the apartment, but what was done was done. He stood before the door to the registration office.

The stout man waved it off. "Think nothing of it, Kagami-san. I'll see you later."

Naoya heaved a lengthy sigh and slid the door open.

* * *

_Thursday, 2:57 PM_

The glowing letters and numbers on the phone screen seemed to mock Naoya. Forget today and yesterday, his life just an hour ago was so different from now! He was nervous; without a Seirin uniform on his back, he really stood out amongst the other students who were streaming the hallways during this passing period. He hoped he didn't run into anyone from the team or end up in their class. It'd be easier to explain to Kagami and Kuroko what had happened if they didn't know beforehand. Naoya glanced up at the classroom label (1) and sighed. He hoped 1-C would be a fair environment.

He noted that it must have been time to start classes again, judging by how everyone in the hallways cleared out to their respective classes (2). Naoya was alone again, waiting for the period's teacher to introduce him to the class.

"Ah, Kagami-san," a voice addressed him. Naoya turned to see Fujimoto. "What a coincidence."

"Are you teaching here this period?" the traveler queried. The other gave a slight nod.

"Hmm... I wonder..." the man pondered aloud. He shook his head, paying it no mind. "Just listen for your introduction, then, Kagami-san. And don't be nervous, I'm sure you'll find a friendly face in the crowd, if my hunches are correct." He patted Naoya's shoulder reassuringly, though the latter was only sent into a full-blown internal panic.

_Oh, God_, he cursed, _he's talking about Dad._

Fujimoto left the door open as he entered the class, making it easier for Naoya to hear his cue. He fought the urge to just peek around the corner and see who he'd recognize, but his gut wrenched. _I__ definitely should have just stayed home and watched a soap opera._

"Class, we have a new student joining us today. He's arrived only yesterday and therefore hasn't yet acquired a uniform, but do try to make an honorable impression. It's not often that we have someone enroll so late in the year. Please come in, then, Kagami-san."

Naoya flinched at Fujimoto's use of his last name. It was a sure-fire dead giveaway as to what trouble he'd gotten himself into. Nevertheless, he gathered up the remaining shreds of his nerve and stepped in, head slightly bowed. He heard the whispers of _"wow, he's pretty tall" _and _"m__aybe he's related to Kagami Taiga"_ and _"why do_ _you think he moved so late in the school year?"_ But before he could even turn to write his name on the board (3), he was interrupted.

"NAOYA?" a gruff voice roared. A desk and chair screeched against the floor as, Naoya assumed, Kagami tried to rocket to the front of the class to confront him. Instead, he saw that Kagami was leaning backwards, the back of his collar seized in time by his Shadow. Naoya sent Kuroko a silent thanks, only to be met with a _we'll talk later_ glare. His spine crawled; even in this world, his mom could terrify the hell out of him. Kuroko jabbed Kagami in the side, forcing his Light to sit back down to nurse the pain.

"Kuroko, you jerk...!" Kagami groused. "I'll kill you later!"

Fujimoto looked on, ignoring the commotion, and gestured for Naoya to continue with his self-introduction. Naoya gripped the whiteboard marker (4) in his hand and went through the strokes that spelled his name in black ink:

火神 直哉

Doing an about-face, Naoya drew a calming breath and spoke to the class. "I'm Kagami Naoya. I got here yesterday, like Fujimoto-sensei said. _Dozo yoroshiku onegai ishimasu_ (5)." He bowed, as was customary when introducing oneself. As soon as he was upright again, he was bombarded with questions.

"Where are you from?"

"Are you related to Kagami Taiga-san?"

"How tall are you really?"

The inquiries came rapid-fire, something like a Gatling gun of sounds. He struggled to piece together the phrases, scrambling to answer them as best he could.

"I'm a returnee from America, I'm related to him, 179 centimeters tall (6), my hair color is natural, I don't have a girlfriend, my best subject is English, and I have a sister or two," he wheezed. Regrettably, reacting to his new classmates' curiosity only served to spur on their uproar. It was only to his (and his parents') relief that Fujimoto quieted the class down again.

"Well then, Kagami-san, you may have the seat next to Kuroko-san," he instructed. "And I can only hope that you'll perform better in my English class than your returnee relative." Naoya glanced over in time to see Kagami hurriedly redirect his gaze out the window.

He took his seat quickly, nodding a small apology to the duo again, wanting to appease their tempers. Kuroko's expression softened—_thank God—_and Kagami gave a resigned sigh. Naoya smiled to himself; if they weren't too mad, then being at school with them could be beneficial to his meddling in their relationship.

Sadly for Kagami, the class period ended with him acting as his father's English tutor.

* * *

Practice after school, however, was an entirely different story.

Naoya cowered in a corner of the gym, clasping his hands over the spot on his head where Riko had clocked him with her clipboard. He tried not think about the pain as Nigou nuzzled against his shin affectionately. Kagami looked over sympathetically, knowing all too well the consequences of enraging Coach. Kuroko seemed concerned for Naoya's well-being in general, hoping that the blow wouldn't bruise.

"Naoyaro (7)!" she shrieked. "They told you to stay put at the apartment, didn't they? Why didn't you listen to them?"

"I just wanted to play with Nigou..." he reasoned. "It was really boring waiting by myself! It was lonely! It's hard to just sit there and wait for Mom and Dad to get home and bring me over, and I still have to find—" Naoya cut himself off, not wanting to come across as whiny.

Kuroko and Kagami wandered over to where Naoya was squatting, worried. They shared a concerned gaze; they hadn't considered what Naoya himself could do so much as what they could do to take care of him. With nine other companions to search for, one including his younger sister (and their daughter), it was no wonder why he needed some company.

_Why hadn't they thought of it before?  
_

"Naoya," Kuroko called softly, "we're sorry for leaving you by yourself."

Kagami scratched the back of his head guiltily. "Your being here was so sudden we just thought about what we need to do... and we forgot you have your own agenda to work on."

"We can have the office mail the forms to Kagami-kun's apartment in order to 'fill' them out as your parents. We'll tell them you're there temporarily while we're supposedly looking for a house. Before school tomorrow morning, we can fill out a request for your uniform so it's ready by next school year (8)."

"And after practice, we can go ask around for any of your friends while we shop for your clothes. And we can pull you from school tomorrow so we can keep looking, if you want."

"Just let us know if you need something, Naoya-kun. We're still new to this, so we don't really have a clue as to what we're doing as parents... but we'll definitely try our best for you. Right, Kagami-kun?"

"Mmm," the ace hummed in agreement. "You're our son, after all. We're here for you. We'd do anything for you, kiddo."

Naoya stood to face them, Nigou circling his feet. Through his tears, he smiled warmly and put an arm around each of them.

"Thank you so much for understanding!" he exclaimed. "You guys are the best parents ever."

"Oi!" Kagami yelled, suddenly nervous. "Don't cry. I can't deal with crying."

Naoya sniffled, wiping away the streaks from his eyes. "Yeah, I know." Kuroko and Kagami exchanged a relieved grin over Naoya's bowed head. They might not have known the first thing about being parents, but this was a good start.

And then a squeal cut through the light atmosphere.

"Oh, you guys are too _cute!" _Riko blurted, holding her hands to her cheeks. "You look like a real family!"

Naoya's head snapped up, eyes still red from his waterworks display. "What do you mean, Riko-ba-chan? We _are _a real family!" Abruptly, he caught himself tumbling over towards the floor and put his hands out as a buffer. _What the hell...?_

Turning over his shoulder, he noticed that Kagami and Kuroko had distanced themselves from the other again, faces flushed. They'd dropped him in the process. _Right_, he sighed internally. _They're not_ _together_ _yet._

_YET._

An unsubtle cough broke through his reverie, refocusing his attention on the stern captain in front of him. "As much as I'd _hate_ to destroy this family moment, we have to get back to practice," he deadpanned, adjusting his glasses.

"We weren't having a _moment_!" Kagami argued, blushing harder than before. "And we'll get back to practice, right, Kuroko?"

"Sorry, Hyuuga-sempai, I don't believe that's an option." The team as a whole sent him stunned glares. Kuroko was staring rather blankly at his phone screen. In a wordless response, the Phantom Player turned it over to face them, displaying his justification.

_Text from:  
Aomine Daiki  
_

_Tetsu, I have a bit of a problem. There's a kid here who says he's mine._

_And Kise's._

_What the hell do I do?_

Naoya glanced up at his mom, wide-eyed and hopeful.

"Coach, we're going to have to leave early," Kagami announced, patting Naoya on the head. "I think we've just found one of Naoya's friends."

* * *

**(1) classroom label: Outside the rooms in Japanese schools, they usually have a sign that sticks out above the doorway like a street sign so it's easier to see what class or room it is.**

**(2) students returning to their classes: In Japan and other Asian nations, the students stay in the same classroom for the entire year. The teachers are the ones who rotate classrooms.**

**(3) writing your name on the board: When you're a new student introducing yourself to the class, it's customary to write your name on the board so your classmates can see how it's spelled.  
**

**(4) whiteboard marker: Though some high schools may still use chalkboards in their classrooms, other high schools have switches over to whiteboards. Seirin will be one of them.**

**(5) _Dozo yoroshiku onegai ishimasu: _When introducing yourself to anyone new in Japan, it's customary to be polite and add this to the end of your introduction. The translation roughly means, "Please treat me kindly."  
**

**(6) 179 centimeters: Equal to about 5 feet, 10 inches. It's between Kuroko's and Kagami's heights, which are 5'6" and 6'2" respectively.**

**(7) Naoyaro: Similar to Bakagami, Naoyaro is a pormanteau of Naoya's name and an insult. In this case, it's "Naoya" + "yaro(u)," which means "jerk" or "bastard," depending on the situation. (Riko says it to mean "jerk.")**

**(8) the school year: No, it's not a miscalculation. Storywise, it's about mid-March, the week before Spring Break. In Japan, a new school year starts when students get back from Spring Break. Kuroko means that after Spring break, Naoya's uniform will be ready in time for them to start Junior Year together.**

* * *

**So... Most of you are probably going to kill me for leaving the chapter where it is, but... :D I did it anyway!  
**

**I just wanna space it out, since this chapter would have been closer to 5K words if I'd gone with my original plan.  
**

**And I didn't want to keep you wonderful followers/reviewers waiting too long, so I just posted. But I can guarantee that the 3rd chapter will be posted by Friday or Saturday. X3 Look forward to it~**

**–Randomness**

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**Responses to reviews, anyone?**

**Reimei-Jennoir:**I know I have to continue! Even I'M excited about finding out what happens next! Glad you think it's epic. :D And about that kid... you'll see.

**Ell (guest): **LOL I know. XD I got that game for my birthday this year, but I actually came up with the kid OCs before I thought of their storyline. So why not throw some Fire Emblem references in there? I just love that game so much.

**DarkAle85:** Oh, thank you! XD I'm glad you like it so much. :3 And... you'll see.

**madluv:** You love this story? XD That's awesome! I was hoping it would do okay here. And Ryuu? Hush, that's for later. We'll finally meet another kid next chapter, though~

**luchiaseiren:** Glad you think it's humorous! (I really do think I have the humor of a cynical 40-year-old woman in a dead-end job, so thanks!)

**Himitsu26:** Thank you! I'll continue to do my best in the future as well.

**Fantita:** Thanks~ And I can't wait to introduce the rest of the kids~!

**Kuruizaki-hime:** Awesome! XD Thanks for thinking so!

**Guest (guest):** Yay! Glad you loved it! I'm relieved that there weren't any noticeable typos... and I'm ecstatic that you're so into the story. :3 And sorry if it wasn't clear, but yes, Kuroko, Furihata, and Himuro (though not seen) are girls in the AU.

**lito . dellamas:** Haha! Good. I'm glad you loved the story! It's going to be a whole lot of fun writing about how the kids get along with their parents. :D

**Crazy anko (guest):** Yeah, I gave most the couples in the story two kids. And I'm glad that the three KagaKuro kids gave it a twist and separated it from other stories! (I've got a headcanon that Kagami really likes kids, but he's scared he's going to hurt them so he gets shy around them.) Thanks for the suggestion, I'll change the second genre to humor. Thanks~

**LoveGonzo2: **Oh, gosh beans, all you reviewers make me blush. Thank you~! I love the kids, too, they're so much fun to develop! The second of the main pairings is introduced here, so I hope you look forward to meeting their kid~

**DivineCluster: **Thank you~ And the kids? Yes, the other parallel universes' timelines run slightly faster or slower than this universe, so I'm having fun with this. And you reviewers seem to ship AkaFuri a lot... :D

**The Second Hand of Time:** XD Thanks for thinking so! And really? There was something similar to this? I don't spend too much time in the Ouran section since I watched the anime around 5-6 years ago... I hope my story doesn't seem like a rip-off! DX But I'm happy that the parallel is an interesting aspect~ It'll be explored more later, when the "Find the Kids" arc settles a bit. And I'm glad you'll continue to read the story! I hope it turned out funny... I've already got scenarios planned out for later when the story is more developed. (Also, thank you for being the first "update-or-die" reviewer I've had! I'm flattered!)


	3. Chapter 3: Girl (?) Troubles

**Heyo~ Hope you lovelies didn't wait too long for the chapter. It was so much fun writing this one and reading all your reviews! Thank you all so much. You just make my day. XD**

**Also, I hope you don't mind that the first thousand and a half words are kinda angsty... it's just the way that I have the AoKise plot planned out, but it'll get better as the story progresses! X| Sorry if angst isn't your cup of tea, but it's necessary for their character development! And Aomine might seem OOC, but I have my justifications for it! It'll come in time.**

**Anywho, here we are, Chapter 3! Hope you enjoy!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Girl (?) Troubles**

* * *

_**Earlier that Thursday**_

Aomine Daiki was, as usual, bored the hell out of his mind. Momoi and the rest of the team had gone off for a practice match against some loser team in Kanagawa that he didn't bother to learn the name of. She was finally starting to give up on him, realizing after Winter Cup that the only person he considered rival-worthy was Kagami Taiga. Make no mistake about it, he didn't like the brat; the two-toned redhead was a strong opponent, and that was that. Besides, it seemed like Tetsu kind of had a thing for him.

Well, Kagami being the only challenge was sort of a half-truth. But the only other person he'd deemed as worthy was… he hadn't talked to him since Winter Cup. Because he'd chosen to avoid him altogether.

If that hadn't been the case, he wouldn't be bored to tears now, lying in the middle of Touou's gym floor, absently twirling the ends of his short fringe between his dark fingers. He'd be slamming dunk after dunk, endlessly frustrating his competitor.

He laid the backs of his hands against his eyes, smiling lightly to himself as he went through match simulations through his head. That person always surprised him, being as unpredictable as Aomine himself at times, and he never really knew what the outcome would be unless either one of them faltered. That was what made basketball so exhilarating, the reason why he stuck to his fantasies and stayed on the team despite pushing away who he wanted to play with the most.

Yeah, he admitted that his days without Kise Ryouta constantly dogging him were the worst.

But he'd only admit that to himself.

Besides, it was for the blond's own good that Aomine was keeping his distance, what with the incident during Winter Cup and the repercussions that followed. He shook off the ominous feelings of foreboding.

It was then that Aomine was suddenly aware of a second person in the gym with him, breathing calmly next to him as though he'd walked in normally. _But when the hell…?_

"What are you smirking to yourself for, old man?" a gruff boy's voice sneered. But he sounded older than just a kid, maybe around his age? Nonetheless, Aomine moved his hands up to his forehead in order to get a glance at the stranger; maybe he could destroy this punk in one-on-one.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a teenager sitting cross-legged next to him, saw flaxen locks that seemed all too familiar, and jolted upright. _There was no way—_

And there wasn't. Aomine stood to calm his nerves. It wasn't Kise, thank God. _Then who was it?_

He gave the stranger a critical eye, wary of who he might be and for what purpose he was here. The boy's skin was dark, but not as dark as his. Perhaps he'd bleached and dyed his hair—tresses that color were rarely natural in Japan. He had roughly sideswept bangs almost covering his right eye, the rest pulled back into a small, messy ponytail. The newcomer only sighed, slouching over more—as though that were even possible—in a lethargic manner, finding Aomine's evaluation of him dull business.

"You done yet, Pops?" he slurred, meeting his eyes lazily. The Touou ace was staggered by this in two ways: he was called "Pops" (despite being only 16) and he felt like he was looking in a mirror. The outsider's eyes were twins to his ebony-cobalt own.

The boy took Aomine's silence as a "yes."

"Alright, then, shake a leg. We have a few things on our to-do list before I head out." He pushed Aomine towards the door of the gym, but the ace turned a fake and the boy lunged forward to break his fall.

"Who are you?" the tanned ace asked. "And what does it have to do with me?"

"Actually, who I am has _everything_ to do with you, Pops," he answered nonchalantly. "The name's Aomine Kei. I'm your kid." He thought for a second before adding, "From the future. Of a parallel universe."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Aomine grabbed him by the collar of his white t-shirt, not buying his explanation for a minute. "Cut the bull," he spat. "What do you want from me?"

"Pops, calm down," Kei sighed. "I'm not out to get you or target Kise or—"

"What's Kise to you?" the ace demanded, eyes narrowed. Kei took a lock of blond hair between his fingertips, coiling it indifferently.

"My momma." Aomine opened his mouth to challenge the preposterous claim, only to close it again. That glint of a deep cerulean stud in Kei's left ear stopped him short. He studied the piece of jewelry more closely; it was a square-cut gem set in white gold, flanked by two tiny leaves of yellow gold.

He recognized this earring. His breath shook as he inhaled and exhaled slowly, releasing Kei's shirt from his fists. It was impossible for _that _to exist here when he had so carefully hidden and locked the commissioned work away (1).

And the confident glare Kei was sending his way made his spine crawl. This was the feeling, he realized, that plagued his opponents when he played against them, the fear that he saw in their eyes surely present in his own. This was perhaps the one guy who was capable of beating him soundly in a one-on-one match. That much he knew. And there was only one way anyone besides Aomine himself could do that.

"You're telling the truth, aren't you?"

Kei raised his shoulders dismissively, smoothing out the collar of his shirt. "It's up to you whether you believe it or not," he retorted. "But let's get a move on. We're burning daylight, Pops." The blond began pushing him out towards the exit again. Aomine complied, not really sure what was going on, though he decided it would be better to play along and see how things turned out.

"And where are you going?"

"Kaijou." Aomine's skin prickled. Kaijou was where...

"Like hell we're going to Kaijou!" he snapped, digging his heels into the floor. Kei stopped pushing, running a hair through his bangs in exasperation. "That's—"

"Where Momma is," Kei cut in, "and the reason why we need to go there in the first place." He caught sight of the grimace on Aomine's face. "Pops, I know you're not exactly on speaking terms with Momma, but you need to talk to her—sorry, _him—_if you want things to change."

Aomine blanched. This kid knew more than anyone should have known. "What proof—"

Kei flicked at the lobe of his studded ear. "This is all the proof I need, Pops. I know you haven't given the earrings to Momma yet in this world, but you did back home. You got in a fight with her there and gave these to her when you made up. Circumstances are a bit different, given that I exist (2), but the general plot of things is the same where you stand."

"No," Aomine refused, heading the opposite direction for the locker rooms. "I can't do that. Not now, not ever. It's for the best. Sorry, kid."

"Kei, not 'kid,'" he corrected. "And you're going to make up eventually, whether you like it or not. I'm going to make it happen. After all, you loved Momma enough to have me, didn't you?" The dark-skinned ace flushed slightly. Was he _really _having_ this_ conversation with a boy who claimed to be his son? Suddenly, Kei yelled out something unintelligible, mussing up his hair in frustration. Aomine stared blankly; was he okay?

"Pops, you're too damn stubborn!" he shouted, putting his father into a headlock and dragging him along. "We're going to Kaijou no matter what you say! You're talking to Momma and sorting out your problems so I can concentrate on finding—" he stopped short, releasing his hold on Aomine's head and dropping him without warning. "Oh, hell, I forgot about Mai! I gotta find her!"

Kei readied himself to sprint out of the building, but Aomine yanked on his wrist before that could happen. There was no way in hell that this twat was going to just burst in his life with all this cryptic shit about him, Kise, and their future and then just _leave _when he felt like it!

"Who's Mai?"

"My sis," Kei replied, "now shove off, Pops, I gotta—" Aomine stood up, putting Kei in a headlock similar to the one he'd experienced only moments before.

"Hold it, brat!" he exclaimed. "You can't just go blitzing off by youself after dumping this info on me, and you definitely can't go charging into Kaijou, either! Kise'll think I put you up to this!" Kei pouted childishly at this, obviously wanting get over and done with all this.

"Then what do you think we should do?" he jeered. "You're too damn stubborn to talk to Momma, let alone ask for her help, and you think your team would only blow the situation out of proportion. Who else is there?"

Aomine loosed the headlock and pinched the bridge of his nose. Kei was right; the only people who were remotely quirky enough to try understand this predicament were the other members of the Generation of Miracles. Akashi would ignore him. Midorima would be annoying, not to mention he'd probably rant about how illogical Kei's existence was. Murasakibara wouldn't care. Kise was... also not an option. Momoi was out, since she'd want to see if _this _universe's Aomine and Kise could reproduce such offspring—which was definitely out of the question. The only person left was—

Of course! If anyone could accept the situation at hand calmly and react accordingly, it would be Kuroko! Aomine flipped out his phone and frowned at what little battery life was left. It wasn't enough to sustain a call, and he didn't want to blatantly summon him over. He settled for a brief text requesting advice. If Kuroko could get back to him with answers, he'd take them.

_Message to:  
Tetsu_

_Tetsu, I have a bit of a problem. There's a kid here who says he's mine._

_And Kise's._

_What the hell do I do?_

_-Message sent-_

"Pops, who was that to?" Kei questioned, peering over Aomine's arm at the screen. His eyes instantaneously lit up as he gasped, "Was that to Momma?" The bright gleam in Kei's eyes reminded Aomine of Kise and his heart dropped. He averted his gaze.

"No, sorry," he apologized. "I just asked a friend for help in dealing with this." Kei's excited expression waned into understanding and he nodded in acceptance of the fact. Aomine sighed; this silence was making him antsy. Kei wandered around the gym, checking the space out. Aomine relocated to a bench and, not knowing what to say, let a good fifteen minutes pass in smothering quietude; he still didn't entirely comprehend how he had a son... with Kise.

"Kid," he started. No, that was wrong. "Er, Kei, how do you... exist?" How the hell was he supposed to phrase this question without being awkward about it? Luckily, the shorter boy seemed to understand what he meant.

"The Kise in my universe is female, Kise Ryouko. You're still... well,_ you_, but there are others who are guys here and girls over there. I know some of your Generation of Miracle buddies are girls where I'm from and they have kids." He snapped in a sudden epiphany. "By the way, there are others who traveled here with me! Maybe I can go find them while you make up with Momma!" Aomine's navy eyes snapped to Kei in an instant. There were more than just this kid and his sister? "I wonder if any of them have found their parents yet. I hope none of them are in trouble, especially Mai."

It occurred to Aomine then that Mai was not only Kei's sister, but also his own _daughter_. With _Kise_. And hell, God forbid she looked even a fraction as beautiful as—

"Kei, what does Mai look like?" He rose to meet Kei where he stood in the center of the court, studying the painted boundary lines.

"Mai's real pretty for a middle schooler," he admitted. "She looks just like Momma! Well, except her hair's blue like yours and her skin looks like the mochas I get from Maji's. But she's got Momma's figure and face, especially her eyes and smile. She's really shy about it, though, so she tries not to stand out. Thank God you taught her self defense just in case." A pit formed in his stomach; was she really so much like Kise that she'd need to know self defense at her age?

"Oooooooi!" someone called. Aomine and Kei turned to face the door of the gym. Kagami poked his head through the doorway, holding the entrance open when he found Aomine and Kei standing on the court. Kuroko passed through, leading another stranger who seemed familiar somehow. The other person's face lit up upon recognition.

"Kei!" he called out. "You're here! Have you found anyone else yet?" Kei went over to greet the other boy warmly, accepting a handshake mixed with a one-armed hug.

"No, not yet," Kei confessed, "just Pops. You?"

"Same, kinda; only Mom and Dad. But the rest of the Seirin team plus this universe's Nigou knows I'm here."

Now Aomine was more than confused as hell. Was this one of the others Kei mentioned had traveled with him? This universe's Nigou? And did he just call Kagami and Kuroko his mom and dad? And the odd Seirin duo was _okay_ with that? But the two teenage boys went on with their light-hearted conversation, discussing and wondering who would show up where and when. They sidled off the bench, leaving Aomine to talk to his former Shadow and his new Light.

"Hello, Aomine-kun," Kuroko addressed him casually. "That was Naoya-kun, our son. We got here as fast as we could."

The tanned ace sputtered, struggling for a response. "That's _your_ kid? You married Kagami?"

The redhead seemed to take that as an insult and flushed slightly, retorting with, "Don't give us that crap! Judging by the looks of things, _you_ hooked up with Kise!"

"He did," Kei called from the bench. He smirked as he watched his dad's face redden and returned to his banter with Naoya.

"Yes, well, we came over because you rarely ask for assistance in anything and because we're dealing with the same situation ourselves," Kuroko continued. "Actually, you're the only other one we know of so far."

"Only other what?" Aomine asked.

Kagami gestured to their sons, chatting away on sidelines. "Only other parent to the reality-jumpers. Naoya said there'd be ten of them total as far as he knew. But he didn't mention who the others were or who their parents are, besides the fact that he's got a younger sister." The redhead frowned about something he was going to say, ultimately choosing not to add it. "The squirt said it'd be more 'fun' that way."

"Not true," Kuroko argued. "On Tuesday, he told us about Furihata-kun and Ryuu-kun." He clarified for Aomine. "The Ryuu-kun he talked about was the only other name we got. Apparently, he's Furihata-kun's son." Aomine attempted to put a name to a face, but he only got a vague impression of the Seirin player the Phantom was talking about.

"Is Furihata his dad?"

Kagami shook his head. "Mom, like Kuroko. And Kise, I guess." The Touou player ignored that last jab at his pride.

"And what about this Ryuu kid?"

"He can explain their purpose here and their means of... transportation better than any of the other kids that jumped, including Naoya himself."

Aomine bowed his head, indicating his comprehension of their enlightenment. He let the new intelligence sit for a moment before emitting a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"Aomine-kun, is there something else bothering you?"

The dark-haired ace sighed, deciding that if he couldn't confide in these two, he couldn't begin to start making things right. "I'm worried about my other kid, my daughter, Mai."

Kagami and Kuroko both looked taken aback. "You've met her?" Kuroko inquired. "Where is she?"

Aomine shook his head at their misunderstanding, correcting them by explaining, "I haven't met the kid yet. Kei's told me about her, that she looks a lot like Ki—er, her mom (3)." They sent him puzzled looks.

"Isn't that a good thing, that she looks like Kise? She's probably real popular, then—"

"That's _exactly _what I'm worried about!" Aomine grumbled. "Mai apparently knows self defense because _I _taught her 'just in case.' She's only a middle schooler! What do I do if that's not enough to protect her? What if she gets hurt and it's my fault? What if—"

"—she gets charged for assault, even though she was the one getting harassed in the first place?" Kagami interrupted, annoyed. "Ahomine, you think too much sometimes."

"And you think too little," he muttered in response.

Kuroko, however, sided with Kagami. "Aomine-kun, if you taught her self defense, it's because you trusted her enough to look after herself and you understood that you can't be there for her all the time, even if you wanted to."

"Besides, she's your kid as well as Kise's," Kagami argued, "so she's most likely got a knack for handling herself just fine."

"You really should have more faith in yourself and Kise-kun," the Phantom clucked. "I know Kise-kun can be a bit stupid at times, but he's not _stupid _stupid. He would have made sure any child of his can be confident on their own. Speaking of, where is Kise-kun? Shouldn't he be here fussing over Mai-san as well?"

"Momma would be here if Pops wasn't so damn stubborn," Kei cut in out of the blue. He popped up next to Kagami, who, out of habit for being startled, immediately turned to grab the head of whoever stood next to him. The blond ducked in time for Naoya to become his scapegoat, letting the normally cutting remark end in a sort of amusing muddle.

"Dad," Naoya yelped, "DAD, let go, calm down!" Kagami complied, unsure of how it came to be that his son's head was victim to his vice grip. He crumpled suddenly with a weak howl, cradling his side.

"Kagami-kun, please refrain from reacting in such a way when caught off-guard," Kuroko reprimanded.

"Whose fault do you think this is?" he countered.

Aomine chuckled faintly, hiding his smile behind a smirk. Even if they didn't get along 100 percent all of the time, Kagami and Kuroko seemed to hold their own just doing what they felt was right. And if it wasn't, they changed that. It was a simple and effective strategy that worked wonders for them, and Aomine hoped that going about things so headstrong for once would yield the same results (4). For all the trouble they were, the Seirin duo proved the efficiency of their teamwork in more way than one.

"Alright," he agreed, "I'll play it your way, Tetsu. But just this once."

A loud _bang_ from outside prevented any questioning that followed Aomine's enigmatic declaration (along with any potential coolness that might have occurred).

"What the—" cursed Kagami. He'd heard that noise enough times to know what it was, covering Naoya's ears and bracing himself for the sake of his own sanity.

"Dad, what are you—"

"Just cover your ears, Naoya-kun, it's for the better."

Aomine picked up on what they meant. _Oh, Goddammit, _he swore, _I forgot _he _might get mixed up in all this! _He began to tell Kei to follow suit, but decided that the brat would have to learn something.

So long as Aomine was his father, Kei would have to live with a little hell if he was going to meddle in his affairs.

"AOMINE!" a voice thundered. The blond reality-jumper flinched at the sudden summons of his last name, confused momentarily before realizing that it must have been geared toward his dad. And then again, that voice sounded awfully familiar...

The door to the gym slammed open, unveiling one absolutely livid—and sweaty—Midorima Shintarou. He was out of breath, shoulders heaving quite dramatically as he pinpointed the tanned ace and pointed an accusing finger. "You— you have something to do with this, don't you? Like it wasn't bad enough that today's Oha-Asa reading for Cancers was ridiculously harrowing! Even worse, I had to drag _both_ of them _here_ in that forsaken cart because Seirin's too far!"

"Hello, Midorima-kun," Kuroko welcomed, never forgetting his oddly immaculate mannerisms. "Please quiet down and explain what, exactly, Aomine-kun did now." That earned him a glare from the aforementioned ace.

"I did nothing to him!" Aomine protested. "I don't think I've even seen him since Winter Cup!"

Midorima narrowed his eyes at the power forward, snorting in incredulity. "Lies. If you didn't do anything, explain _that!"  
_

As if on cue, Takao Kazunari strolled calmly through the doorway, escorting a girl of about fourteen or fifteen. They were deep in conversation about something significant, but all others present doubted that that was the case. After all, the choice words that drifted out to them were _"Midorima", "cute", _and _"unbelievably tsundere."_

Upon a closer look, they noticed the girl had hair the same shade as Takao's, wore glasses, and had incredibly green eyes.

Comprehension of Midorima's accusation formed in Aomine's mind, and he was furious that the shooting guard would think _he _was the cause of all this mayhem. "Midorima, your daughter suddenly appearing doesn't make me responsible for it! She's your kid, so you own up to it!"

Takao bounced up playfully, pushing Midorima's glasses back up the bridge of his nose after noticing they had slipped. "You know," he hummed, "they're right, Shin-chan. If anyone's to blame, it's _you_."

"Or it could be yours, Mommy," the girl joined in giggling, clearly enjoying her father's flustered state. "After all, _you_ were the one that got pregnant."

Aomine stared dumbly at the scene unfolding. This family was dysfunctional as it was, no Miracles added.

"Suzume-chan!" Kei and Naoya chorused. They bounded over and sandwiched her in a hug. "You're alright!"

The Touou player exhaled heavily, trying to expel the stress that was starting to build up just being _near _these people.

Suddenly, confronting Kise and all his demons didn't seem like such a bad idea.

* * *

**(1) the earrings: Part of the plot I have in store for our AoKise babies~ The earrings don't exist in the anime or manga, they're something I decided Aomine still has as Kise's present.**

**(2) given that Kei exists: what Kei means is that the relationships and personalities in either the AU or this universe remain mostly, if not wholly, unchanged. The only difference is that the MiraGen girls can get preggo and have babies. :D**

**(3) Ki—er, her mom: As exhibited in the story, Aomine and Kise kind of have a fight going on that's lasted a while. Since they're not talking, Aomine feels awkward trying to address Kise by name, especially because he's the mother of Aomine's children.**

**(4) being headstrong: When it concerns people close to him, Aomine has a kind of roundabout way of doing things (or so I've noticed). He's going to try do what Kagami and Kuroko do and face his problems head on.**

* * *

**Well, I hope you liked it! (And I'm sorry if you didn't!) It was fun writing this chapter (even though there's angst) because it means that eventually, everyone will be lovey-dovey and I shall smother you all in fluff. Yay!**

**Honestly, though, I feel like maybe I'm not living up to people's expectations on this story, but hey. It's my story! I've got almost everything planned out, so it's entirely up to you readers if you want to sit back and watch it unfold.**

**And I'm really sorry for not having review responses here! It's 11PM right now and I've got a long day ahead of me, so I'll work on them tomorrow and repost the chapter.**

**I'll try to keep updates on Saturdays and Tuesdays. Does that sound decent?**

**Thanks to you all! I hope you keep enjoying this chaotic plot as much as I enjoy writing it. :3**

**–Randomness**

* * *

**xOwleX: **XD Thanks for liking it so much! And don't worry, I haven't revealed _why_ Naoya and the others are here and trying to get their parents together. You haven't missed out on anything. I don't know what Dead Week is, but I hope this story was able to give you relief. :)

**LoveGonzo2: **E-eh? Really? You were giggling? Thank you...! It makes me happy when people tell me a fic of mine reduced them to babbling fangirl/fanboy nonsense. It means I'm doing something right! XD And I hope you liked Kei as much as I liked making Kise give birth to him! (?) Please look forward to Tuesday's update as well!

**Kirie Mitsuru (1): **X3 Thank you for thinking it's cute! It makes me so happy that my writing has that effect on people. And yeah, Naoya's being a little poop and making them all wait 'til they can find Ryuu, which is kind of a downer because they don't know who's going to pop up next. Don't worry; this is the one story I'm determined to keep on a constant update sched!

**jenrose257: **BECKY! Thanks for dropping a review! X3 And don't hurt me for the cliffhanger, jeez! Yes, I am aware about your bugging me for updates, but I have a schedule going and... what does it matter to you? You get free previews! I'll see you Monday with what I have of the next chapter!

**Guest (guest): **Oh, gosh beans, thank you! vuv I hope you liked Kei, he's such an oddball. And about Furihata's husband... you guys REALLY ship AkaFuri hard, huh? XD I won't give anything away, you'll have to wait like Naoya said. And yeah, there IS a definite reason as to why they're all there, which is why Naoya's worried about what goes on in the parallel while they're there. Don't worry about the confusion, I do that to myself sometimes, too. And THANK YOU for leaving such a long reply! It makes me blush to think that you'd take your time to drop off such an awesome review. Did I make it in time not to be spammed?

**fujushi-tan (guest): **/bow I'm glad my story was to your liking! I'll continue to do my best and keep that update schedule I have! Please look forward to Tuesday's chapter.

**Little Strawberry RiRin Chan: **Thank you! X3 Update in more or less 2 days, so look forward to it!

**Ryuuichi Seijuro: **Hrm... Ryuu's dad? I wonder... Thanks for liking the story! And I wish I could update sooner, but I have three weeks 'til I'm off school and it's crunch time for end-of-year projects and Finals. /sobs But I will do what I can! Look forward to my free time!

**Fantita: **XD Yes, Naoya is in their class now! I might have something (evil) planned for this development... and yeah, I hope Aomine's reaction was somewhat funny, if Midorima's wasn't enough.

**lito . dellamas: **YES. Cliffhangers are awesome. XD I can't wait to get the AoKise story rolling so we can have Kise meet his babies~ And there's going to be a bit of a break from school, since story-wise it's almost spring break. They only have Friday for school and then they have two weeks off. But don't worry! We will return to the classroom once all the other kiddies are found.

**Crazy anko (guest): **As AoKise's kid, I hope Kei lived up to expectations. He's really eccentric and does things at his own pace. He's so fun to write because he's so unpredictable! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the replies! I think communicating with the readers is important, since you all give me motivation to keep writing. If you guys didn't let me know what you all thought, my only motivation would come from how hard I ship things ATM and my friend, Becky. XD So thank you!

**DivineCluster: **Awww, thank you! You make me blush. vuv Angst? Well, it's kinda AoKise centered, but I was planning a little something for KagaKuro... /wink wink And I hope you continue to anticipate updates! And I do have a Gaia, but I haven't played in almost four years... OTL Maybe I'll make a new one and restart, but I'll let you know if and when that happens! Thanks!


	4. Chapter 4: (In)Conveniences

**Hello, duckies~ Here's the chapter, like I promised.**

**So this chapter jumps around a bit in terms of timeline, just to be able to progress the story and still explain what happened. A lot of this is centered around Aomine bonding (?) with Kei at first and a bit of something else. ****Midorima, Takao, and Suzume will have their turn, though, as will the others. And we will return to our main event, KagaKuro with a side of Naoya, soon enough!**  


**At first, when I compared the number of reviews for last chapter (7) to the first two (14 and 12), I panicked, like I was doing something wrong. But then I realized that reviews don't measure how many people like my story, the number of people following does. Reviewers are just readers who want to speak up. But whether you enjoy the story in silence or voice your opinions, keep continuing to enjoy! :3**

**This one is for all my lovely duckies who follow~ (There are 52 of you and counting!)**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**(In)Conveniences  
**

* * *

Aomine woke up unnaturally early, rubbing the grogginess from his tired navy eyes. His back ached in strange places and his bones and joints creaked as he stretched them out. The couch was definitely not the most comfortable place to crash for the night. Trying to alleviate the pain in his neck, he kicked off the thin blanket and placed it messily on the nearest armrest; he could take care of it later. Aomine adjusted the loose shirt on his shoulders and fixed the waistband of his boxers. The ace shuffled into the kitchen, checking for the presence of food. He sighed in defeat when he realized there wasn't any meal prepared for him because he was the first one up.

He made his way back to the couch and flopped over on the blanket, checking for the time. _Friday, 5:54 AM._

Aomine let out a frustrated grumble; never in his life had he ever woken up this early. His parents weren't even up yet, and _that_ was saying something, it being that his mom had an internal alarm clock forever set to 6:15 and his dad abhorred laziness. Needless to say, it hadn't gone over as well as he'd liked when he made up his spiel for Kei's presence.

* * *

Kuroko and Kagami had promised to handle Midorima while Aomine slipped away with his son. Around an hour later, he was leading Kei through the front door of his house, worrying for his son's lodgings. Footsteps resounded in the hallway as someone approached them.

"Daiki, darling, your dinner's—who's that?"

"Uh... a friend. He's... a transfer student from Okinawa, but his host family bailed last minute and he needs a place to crash. So he's staying here." That would work.

His mom glanced over Kei with a critical eye, evaluating the stranger carefully. Nodding her approval slowly, she smiled. "You two look alike, you know. Maybe he's your Okinawa-born doppelganger?" she joked. Kei smirked at this, glad to find that his grandmother was such a humorous person. "I'd let him stay, Daiki, but you'll have to ask your father. You know his rules."

"Alright, thanks, Ma. I will. But I'd rather just let Kei stay here." Inwardly, Aomine cursed. He was hoping she'd take the issue up his dad herself. Sure, the man was nice, quiet and loyal to his family, but he was also strict, so the ace believed. But his father hadn't shown him any acceptance or affection, thinking his son was wasting his youth playing basketball and his money buying equipment and Horikita Mai photobooks. He'd always gotten on Aomine case about his grades—which were decent enough, considering he was on Honor Roll—and tried to ensure that his future was secure. It goes without saying that he'd never even attended a single one of the bluenet's matches. Aomine Toushirou was a no-nonsense man with a plan.

But what would he say about Kei's sudden appearance?

The Touou player led the blond through the house to the study, where his father was reading an old novel from the time of Feudal Japan. He tried to avoid seeming nervous for Kei's sake; after all, he was responsible for him and needed to be reliable. Aomine opened his mouth to ask permission, but his father barely even looked up before giving his answer. Toushirou had hear everything from where he sat and needed no explanations.

"What's his name?"

"Uh..." Aomine panicked. He couldn't say Kei's real last name because it was his name as well. How bad and suspicious would that have looked? He blurted out the first thing he could think of instead: "Kise! It's Kise. Kei. Kise Kei."

Oh, God. What the hell had he just blurted out? He was such an idiot, and now he could feel the bewildered stares Kei shot him. But if Toushirou, thought anything of it, he didn't let on. He simply turned to the next page of his tome and glanced up at the newcomer briefly.

"He can stay."

Aomine almost asked him to repeat his response; never before had his father actually consented to anything he did, so why did he start now? Instead, he went along with it. "Thanks, Pa."

He nudged Kei's shoulder as a signal to follow. Right now, his own son was his first priority. He could mull over the other parts of his family dynamics later. The bluenet sped-walked down the hall, blazing trails as best he could up the stairs and to his room. Kei stumbled along behind him, unfamiliar with the layout of the house, ensuring he didn't trip over any furniture. As soon as they were away in Aomine's room, Kei engaged in conversation.

"'Kise,' Pops?" he mused.

Aomine scowled back at him, frustrated and more than a little embarrassed that that was the first name he'd thought of. "Shut up, Kei." With a victorious grin, the blond spun away to take in the room. It was admittedly more plain than he's have thought, the walls mostly bare, personal belongings squared away, and little furniture with little color.

"Never thought you'd have a room like this, Pops. Back home, you always had pictures hanging up and everything in some place it didn't go, and— Pops?" he asked. Aomine jolted a bit, snapping out of a trance Kei hadn't noticed.

"Sorry, Kei, what?" The boy smiled knowingly.

"You're thinking about Momma, aren't you?" The blush that hung around his dad's cheeks answered him well enough. "Having trouble knowing what to say when you go to apologize?"

"Actually, yeah," the tanned ace confessed. "I started avoiding him with no intentions of ever going back. And I don't even know how to start. I—I _want _to apologize and be able to see him again, but I've done some really dick things to make sure that never happens. It's complicated. But I want to go back and fix things with Kise, especially it means so much to both you and Mai."

Kei started to say something, but decided against it. He averted his darkened navy blue gaze to the blank calendar hanging on the wall next to him. Aomine sighed, settling down on the bed and beckoned for Kei to sit next to him. It was still strange, to think that he was conversing with his son, but the whole weight of things was bigger than his own dilemmas; that much, at least, Aomine could understand.

"Hey, you can't hide it from me, kid," Aomine scolded. "You might have my eyes, but they're just as expressive as your mom's, as weird as it is to say that out loud. I know something happened over there. I can see it in your eyes, all of you reality-jumpers; it's the same kind of sadness I saw whenever I did something to break things off with Kise. And maybe you can't tell me yet, but you don't have to pretend to be happy. The more you act like nothing's wrong, the worse it gets, and that's speaking from personal experience."

"...thanks, Pops," the blond muttered. "I just... I don't know. It feels like I'm doing what's right, and at the same time it doesn't."

Aomine shrugged. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Hopefully, we'll get across with Mai and Kise with us."

Without warning, Kei launched himself from the bed onto the floor, scuttling along with his stomach until he could reach under the bed. "O-oi!" the ace started. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Kei didn't answer as he attempted to squeeze himself all the way under. Startled, Aomine jumped off the bad and dragged the blond out by his ankles, which was harder than he though it'd be considering the snooping teen managed to drag along whatever was underneath with his arms.

"Kid, put that back!" he yelled. But his demands fell on deaf ears as his son began rifling through the pile he'd scrounged up: Horikita Mai photobook, shoebox, deflated basketball, old report card, Horikita Mai photobook, extra shoelaces, Horikita Mai photobook, Horikita Mai photobook, random manga volume, Horikita Mai photobook...

"Pops, how many of these do you have? Were there that many photobooks printed? I don't remember you having so many back home."

"Er, no, it's just that no one on the team really knew what to get me, but they all ended up buying the same copy for me on my birthday—more importantly, quit going through my stuff!"

"What?" Kei snickered. "Afraid I'll find something personal and totally private?"

"Yes!"

"At least you were honest enough to admit," he commented, pushing the pile away from the bed and diving underneath again. Aomine's gut wrenched with anxiety at what Kei might find. Mind you, it was nothing particularly inappropriate, but—

"FOUND IT!" the blond sang at the top of his lungs. He emerged with another shoebox and immediately set to digging for its contents. The navy-haired teen attempted to rip it away, only to be met by a foot to his face.

"Kei cut it out!" he shouted. Aomine could feel the blood rushing to his face as Kei let out an excited hoot. He pushed himself away from his son; it was pointless to fight after he'd found what he was looking for.

"It's Momma's photobook! Was this part of the birthday photobook thing?" the blond interrogated, excitedly waving the glossy paper in front of his dad's face. Defeatedly, he gave a slight nod, to which Kei responded with an amused catcall. "Aunt Satsuki always knew how to push your buttons! And—oooh, is this an album from your middle school days?"

Aomine watched as his son flipped through the pictures, trying to identify everyone and gawking at how young they looked. It was mortifying to witness his most personal possessions being rifled through, but at the same time it was nice to see Kei enjoying himself. Whatever hardships he was facing with Kise and everyone else was nothing compared to what Kei was fighting against.

"Pops?" he called. "What's this?" Kei held up a small silver band with a clasp on it, an item Aomine didn't recall owning at first.

"That's your mom's."

"What?"

"I don't know about your universe, but Kise has a pierced ear. This is the pair his earring came with when he got it. I forgot I had it..."

Kei smiled softly, giving Aomine a sympathetic look. "Momma's really important to you, isn't she? I... I can tell you about how you made up with her back home. Maybe it'll help you get some ideas on how to approach her."

Aomine looked up in surprise, inquiring, "We had a fight there, too?"

"Like I said, this world is a parallel to ours and vice versa; with a few exceptions, it's the same story until we come along. But yeah, you fought. Momma always told us the story no matter how embarrassed you got because it's how you got together."

Kei moved to put aside the shoebox and shoved everything else back under the bed. He continued with, "It's the same idea there, where you started pushing her away so you could protect her. Momma got a job as a model when you were both in middle school. She was bored with her social life and wandered around campus 'til she met you. She started sitting in on your basketball practices and games, made new friends with the other girls who watched every day, and eventually, she fell in love with you. At first, she kept quiet 'cuz she thought you had a thing going with Aunt Tsuko—"

"Who?"

"Aunt Tsuko. Aunt Tetsuko? Naoya's mom?"

"Oh, Tetsuya."

"Same difference," Kei huffed, "now shut up and listen to the rest of the story. Anyway, Momma didn't say anything, but then Aunt Tsuko asked her if she liked you and then played devil's advocate to get you two together. Well, you had no problems with it, since Momma says you're an exhibitionist an whatnot. You two were pretty happy for the time you were dating, but then Momma started getting popular as a model. Other guys always flocked to her and tried to chat her up, and you noticed she started falling asleep at games because she was too tired from her shoots to stay awake. You knew how important it was for her to keep her job and her public image, so close to the end of the year, you broke up with her and told her to stay away from you.

"You, apparently, were doubting yourself as her boyfriend since she could have had anyone else. You knew some of the tabloids were publishing things about Momma hanging around you despite having so many fanboys. They made you so mad that they would say stuff like that, but it made you feel even worse that it was happening because of you, so you told her to shove it."

Aomine's jaw clenched; that sounded about right.

"It was small stuff at first, like avoiding her during the weeks before spring break, ignoring her when she tried to talk to you, not answering when she called or texted. Then you started with the texts to stay away from you and skipping school so she couldn't find you. She got persistent enough about you that you yelled at her to go away and pushed her.

"Momma didn't take it well. She tried to get in touch, but it got harder since you went to different schools and her modeling career skyrocketed. She didn't give up, though; about a year after you broke up with her, Aunt Satsuki filled her in on why you broke up with her and she asked her agency for a break until she could find you. They gave in and Aunt Satsuki and Aunt Tsuko set you up. When Momma first saw you, the first thing you did was freeze where you were and she slapped you. Then she started crying about how you were the stupidest person on the face of the planet because you thought that her job mattered more to her than you did. She begged you not to leave her again and that she'd cut all her hair off and quit her job if it meant you could be together."

Silence followed. "Is that how it happened?" Aomine asked. Maybe he could have a shot at that happy ending, after all.

"In layman's terms, yeah. It was a bit more complicated than that, but that's the gist of it. And I think we could pull off the same thing here."

"Thanks, Kei. I... I'll think of something." He stared pensively at the shoebox with his Teikou album and Kise's things.

The door opened and Aomine's mom poked her head into the room. "Boys," she called, "dinner's still downstairs, unless you're not hungry. We can set up an extra futon for Kise-san, too, if you want, Daiki." The ace shook his head at the latter, to which Kei responded with a disappointed frown.

"Thanks for dinner, Ma, no thanks to the futon. I'll just take the couch. Less effort."

Kei sighed dejectedly. He couldn't argue with his dad, either way. "Thanks, we'll be right down, Grand—" he caught himself. "Er, g-grand! That sounds grand, Aomine-san!"

She chuckled at how stiff he was, though she though his nervousness was caused by something else. "Please, call me Fuyumi-san."

Inwardly, Aomine facepalmed. Making sure his parents didn't figure out who Kei really was and keeping his ditzy son from slipping was going to be difficult.

* * *

Thinking about the family dinner that inevitably followed gave him a headache; not only had Kei almost given himself away on six different occasions, but he also had to come up with an explanation as to why Kei had no personal belongings and no means of contacting his parents.

In the end, the airline from Okinawa misplaced and lost his luggage (how irresponsible!) and Kei's parents were out of range (technically not a lie).

His ears perked when the sound of slippers registered from the stairwell. It was still too early for his Ma to be up and Kei didn't have slippers... his Pa?

"Daiki," his father called. "I need to speak with you." Aomine didn't know if he should have been nervous or indifferent, but he was too preoccupied with thoughts of Kei and Kise and Mai to care. Complying, he pushed himself off the couch and went to meet his father, who motioned in the direction of the kitchen.

"Yeah, Pa?"

"I'm letting you off school today. Go shopping for Kei's replacement belongings. Here," he ordered, holding out a thick wad of cash. "If there's anything left over, keep it and use it for something important. I'm going to start some coffee." Impatiently, he put the money in Aomine's hands and shuffled towards the cabinets.

"Pa, wait," he cut in. "...why? Why do you suddenly care? You've never approved of anything else I've ever done before. So why start now?"

"Because," he replied gruffly, "you're finally doing things without seeking my permission. Coming to see me about letting your friend stay for the time being was something your mother referred you to, but you're beginning to realize that doing the right thing will sometimes mean that you will face opposition. Have fun shopping, Daiki."

Absently, he trekked back to the living room. He'd never thought of it that way.

All he needed to do now was wait for Kei to get up. After all, he think of how to patch things up with Kise on such short notice.

* * *

Some three hours later that Friday morning found father and son wandering around downtown Tokyo, looking for a good department store to start with.

"Kei, what do you want to look for first? Clothes, bathroom stuff, cellphone—"

"Mai!"

"Okay, we can start with—Mai?"

Aomine watched in shock as Kei darted forward, not bothering to explain what he meant. And then, he realized, _Mai_. As in Kei's kid sister as well as his daughter... with Kise. The thought of him and Kise being in such an intimate relationship still made his ears burn. He jogged to catch up with Kei. A shrill _"Nicchi (1)!" _sounded not too far ahead, bringing a smirk to the Touou player's face.

She was Kise's daughter, all right.

The navy-haired ace only hoped that they had found the middle schooler before someone else did. As he looked up to find Kei and Mai, he stopped where he was, suddenly tense and trepidatious.

Someone else had found Mai first.

And it just had to be Kise Ryouta.

* * *

**(1) Nicchi: Mai's way of calling Kei "ni-san," which means "older brother." She uses Kise's nicknaming system.**

* * *

**Oh, boy, I'm going to get yelled at for this. Even if it's just Becky yelling.  
(Please don't kill me, especially considering next chapter will be MidoTaka based.)**

**Oh, gosh, it just occurred to me that I left such a horrible cliffhanger on AoKise Day. ...whoops! (?)**

**Seriously though, Becky, don't hurt me.**

**~Randomness**

* * *

**Ryuuchi Seijuro:** XD I love fluff! I love writing it. Sometimes, I get embarrassed writing it, though. uvu" And pictures, you say? Ohoho~ I actually sketched out how the kids look and am working on the family portraits~ Look forward to it!

**Fantita:** Oh, thank you! You reviewers seriously make me blush. I can't wait to write about all the kids with their families! And look forward to Saturday's update, since it'll focus on MidoTaka and their quirky daughter, Suzume. :3

**LoveGonzo2:** YAY! Thank you! And yes, I will get to the reality-jumpers' purpose here, but let's have some family fun first~ And yes, I shall continue to write this story because it's too diabolically fun to not write! And yes, angst~ Thanks for your encouragement! I'll continue to do my best!

**hitomi65:** Thank you! uvu

**Divine Cluster:** XD Thank you! Next chapter, we'll see more MidoTaka and another pairing (not saying who). I'm glad that this fic's pairings are valued so highly in your world! And I will update to the best of my abilities!

**Reimei-Jennoir:** Awww, thanks for liking Kei! He actually turned out to be spazzier than I intended, but then again, he's Kise's son. X3 But I figured a way for y'all to see his initial personality (don't worry, it's not anything dark). And I kinda dropped the bomb with this cliffhanger, huh? Please don't kill me about it! And please do look forward to our MidoTaka babies next chapter~

**Little Strawberry RiRin Chan:** I hope it turns out as epic as I have it planned to be! And HyuuRiko baby? I'd say "you'll see," but yes! There will be a HyuuRiko baby! Please look forward to Saturday's update! (Hope that's soon enough...) Thank you so much, avid reader-san!


	5. Chapter 5: Ours

**Hello, you wonderful readers! Today's chapter, as I said, is more MidoTaka based, though it gets a bit...bumpy...**

**Oh, jeez, I can already feel you all killing me...**

**In any case, please read on and enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Ours**

* * *

Midorima Shintarou awake the following Friday morning mildly unamused. He took extra precautions in ensuring that his luck would be the best it could be, after yesterday's fiasco. His eyebrow twitched in memory of the events: finding that Suzume girl prowling the locker room (worse still, the guys' locker room), playing an agonizing round of twenty questions to guess who she was (which Takao had gotten right by question 17), and transporting the both of them in the rickshaw after losing at their traditional coin toss (1) a humiliating number of times.

The relentless deriding of his pride at the expense of their laughter was a whole other matter entirely.

Deciding to skip breakfast despite his mother's protests, he headed out to the convenience store, hoping his lucky item for the day would be something purchasable there. He pulled up that morning's Oha-Asa announcement, hoping he was fortunate enough to not have his sign fall to the lowest rank for a second day in a row.

_"The two unluckiest signs today are Virgos and Geminis; be especially careful if you run into each other! Maybe things will swing your way with your lucky items, a blue iris flower and a star-shaped hair clip!"_

At that moment, Midorima could have believed that the chipper voice announcing the horoscope was a God-sent gift; he wasn't at the bottom of the pit!

_ "Good for you, Cancers, you pulled out of last place, but luck still isn't entirely in your favor. Maximize what luck you have in tenth place with today's lucky item, a hawk plush toy!"  
_

Midorima slammed his phone shut with unnecessary force, wishing he could do the same to this deplorable jinx. His good feeling had vanished. Regardless of the fact that he had avoided the rickshaw sitting in front of his house and left early—ultimately avoiding having to meet one Takao Kazunari altogether—it seemed impossible to escape him completely. The stars mocked him. Nonetheless...

The bell to the door of the convenience store jingled as pleasantly as it ever had in the days prior.

"Good morning!" the store clerk greeted him. Midorima looked over curiously; until now, the store had been managed by the old man who owned it. This cashier was decidedly female as she exclaimed, "Oh, it's Daddy!"

Midorima wanted to thrash the Oha-Asa announcer lady for her inaccuracy on today of all days. Cancer's supposed tenth place was _definitely _the worst luck possible of all the signs. He pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. If he _tried _to see any good in this, it would be that things wouldn't get any more miserable than this.

He locked eyes with the girl leaning smugly on the counter, her green eyes an imitation of his with all of Takao's sly, mischievous gleam. But something about the way she rested her head on her propped up elbows boded ill, and Midorima decided to test how unfortunate he'll really be for the rest of the day.

"...hello, Suzume...-san (2)." She shot him an incredulous glare that challenged his choice of words, but opted for much harsher consequences.

She cupped a hand and yelled towards the back of the small store, "Mommy! Daddy's here!"

At that moment, Midorima was willing to sprint back home and lock himself up until Suzume returned to her rightful universe. However, his brain and body did not comply to his wishes, being addled with the hell he was experiencing so early in the morning at the whim of his own daughter. The shooting guard instead stood dumbly as his teammate surfaced, joining Suzume behind the counter for the show.

"Good morning, _Daddy," _Takao sung, completely enjoying the blush unfolding on Midorima's face. "Are you here to pick me up?"

"No," Midorima deadpanned. "I came here early with the intention of evading you, and alternatively I find you here with... with..."

"With our daughter?" the point guard offered. "Turns out our adorable little Suzume-chan got directions to Shuutoku yesterday from the old man, so she's watching shop today as a thank you. Which explains why we found her sleeping in our rickshaw when we got back from practice." His smirk grew bigger every time he used the words "our" and "we"; Midorima's face started to contrast his hair more and more with each mention.

The next few seconds passed in silence as Takao and Suzume waited for the bespectacled teen to respond or show some other reaction. "...I'll just stay home today," he announced. Takao frowned. That wasn't any fun.

"You know your mom won't let you stay home if you're not physically ill," he pointed out. "Just come to school, I promise I won't bother you... too much." Midorima shook his head, quietly trudging out the door without any reference to his lucky item. Suzume pouted, finding her father's reluctance to accept the situation a little hurtful.

"Fine," she added. "Stay home. Besides, if you're just down the road, I'll just come to cheer you up. Maybe I'll get to meet Grandma, while I'm at it." Takao watched as she adjusted her own glasses similarly to the way Midorima did, smiling to himself as he realized that as troublesome as she was, she was also calculating and desperate. What the cause of the latter was the hawk-eyed player didn't know, only aware that she was trying very hard to hide it.

He walked out from behind the counter, bag in hand, and slung an arm around Midorima's shoulders, ushering him outside. "Just listen to our daughter, Shin-chan. She's telling you to go, so let's go! We have a _lot _to talk about, after all." At that, the taller boy's rose-colored flush deepened—if that were even possible. Stealthily, Takao gave Suzume a wink and thumbs up, promising her wordlessly to do something about her father's hesitation about their circumstances.

He waved to her, calling, "We'll pick you up after school, Suzume-chan! ...hey, Shin-chan, say goodbye to our daughter! Don't be rude!"

"Er, we'll see you then... Suzume."

The automatic glass doors slid shut softly. The reality-jumper behind the counter couldn't help but feel a little relieved at her mother's efforts to help; it was still painful to talk, even after all that time. Putting on that cheerful show yesterday only made her feel worse.

* * *

When he felt they were well enough away from the convenience store, Takao prompted Midorima into conversation.

"Hey, Shin-chan, what's your problem?" he snapped, pushing away from the other boy. "Why are you having such a hard time dealing with Suzume-chan?"

Midorima pushed the glasses up his nose. "You mean, other than accepting the fact that she claims to be the product of _my_ marriage to _you? _I'd hardly call that a hard time; rather, I'm having trouble understanding how you can believe her so readily." The shorter teen threw up his hands in exasperation.

"Shin-chan, you can't be serious! She looks just like you and me! She _acts_ like you and me! Suzume-chan—"

"—could be lying, for all we know," the shooting guard interrupted. "It's easy enough to imitate appearances and behavior with a bit of observation."

Takao rolled his eyes. "You're being ridiculous, Shin-chan."

"I could say the same about you."

"What benefit would Suzume-chan get from lying about who she is? And you and I both saw the other two kids that came with her! You know as well as I do that Suzume-chan, Naoya, Kei, and all the others are here for a reason!"

The taller man shifted the shoulder strap of his bag, retorting with, "What proof do you have to support this?"

"She's wearing your glasses, for crying out loud! The same ones that you had when we were defeated by Seirin for the first time! But wait, _you_ wouldn't know that because you were too busy freaking the hell out to notice! I've seen the bandages on the side of the frames marked with the exact date in _your _handwriting (2)! Why can't you get over yourself and trust Suzume-chan?"

"Because I can't simply _believe_ that you and I..." God, it still seemed so wrong to even think about it, let alone say it out loud. "You and I..."

"You and I what?" Takao spat. "Got married, had sex, and out popped a baby? Yeah, Shin-chan, we did, even if it wasn't in this universe."

Midorima shook his head. "Sorry, Takao, but I can't take that as enough information to validate her story." The younger male turned away from him, lowering his eyes.

"I don't get you," he chuckled bitterly. "I thought I did, but I was wrong. Here I believed you were open minded, what with trusting your stupid Oha-Asa predictions every damn day, and you can't even trust your own _daughter._"

Midorima stared after Takao's figure, standing still, awaiting an answer. The latter snorted when he realized he wasn't getting one. "I'm going ahead, _Midorima," _he sneered. "Don't bother coming by the store later. I'll take care of Suzume-chan. _Alone." _Before the bespectacled teen could begin to formulate an argument, Takao had already bolted off ahead, not looking back.

At that moment, Midorima dared to doubt the accuracy of Oha-Asa's horoscope for the first time.

* * *

Against his expectations, Midorima still showed up in class later on, but Takao did his best to ignore the man who was supposedly his best friend. He didn't even do so much as glance in his general direction; he wanted to think about how he could help Suzume out instead. Since the shooting guard was so unwilling to offer his assistance, he'd do it by himself. Nearly all of his class time was spent planning out how to budget his allowance so they could buy Suzume's essentials and clothes, figure out how to explain her to his parents and let her stay without selling her out, wondering if you should enroll for the next school year (3)...

And other than that, he spent his passing periods and lunch finding places to hide where Midorima would never think to look. Maybe his luck was high on Oha-Asa's list, being that Ootsubo had passed by perchance in a hallway. Takao had been able to plead off after-school practice to go get Suzume and get to know her.

Not once did he catch the viridescent eyes that stared at him as often as they could.

* * *

Wanting to have Suzume safely by his side as safely as possible, Takao ran all the way to the convenience store, only to be surprised and widely panicked when he found she was gone.

Well, not _gone_, but simply not where he had left her. And he knew the old man wouldn't just let his store go unattended, so he sought the geezer out.

"Oh, Suzume-san?" he repeated. "Shintarou-kun came by not five minutes ago to collect her. He said to redirect you to his house if you checked in."

Takao hurriedly thanked the old man and charged down the path to Midorima's house. What the hell had happened while he turned Shin-chan's plan for today on its head and avoided him instead? He only hoped that his relationship with Suzume had improved, even if just a little bit.

He burst in the house—the Midorima family left their front door unlocked as it was Takao's custom to simply come and go as he felt—and found Midorima's little sister sitting on the couch, minding her own business. Her chestnut hair wasn't similar to his, but Yuriko's eyes were the same shade of guarded green.

"Riri," Takao addressed her, "where are—"

"Nii-san came home a little while ago with a pretty girl. They went upstairs," she replied in a bored tone. "Why? Are you jealous or something?" To hear that Midorima really did have their daughter showed that he was going to at least attempt accepting her as such. The point guard grinned brightly at her.

"Jealous? Not this time around."

Jumping the steps two at a time, Takao reached the door to Midorima's room and prepared to turn the handle, but surged backwards when it suddenly hurled open and someone toppled onto him. Judging by the weight, he guessed it was Midorima.

"Takao, I can say for certain that I accept Suzume as _yours_, at the very least," he shuddered. Midorima stood to straighten out, ignoring Takao completely. Huffing frustratedly, he got up himself and checked to see what exactly had made the shooting guard react in such a way. He found Suzume sitting at the desk, smiling to herself as she examined some papers in her grasp.

"Suzume-chan?" he called. "What's going on?"

Wordlessly, she pushed the papers at him and went back to her work on the desk, picking up a pencil and setting to her task. Takao glanced over the pictures. They were about Midorima and... was that _him? _He brought the paper closer, inspecting the pictures. Without a doubt, this was him and Midorima, but they were older. They were smiling, obviously happy, their faces close enough that they could kiss. They only thing really any different was the length of his hair and the fact that he had boobs. He quickly flipped through the other pictures: them at a formal dress party, them holding hands at the beach, them kissing at the altar... and one last picture of them in a hospital room, where Takao was lying on a bed, cradling a baby. Midorima sat right beside him, kissing his cheek, holding a toddler that had her short hair braided, her green eyes trained curiously at the bundle in her mother's arms.

At a second glance, Takao noticed that the pictures weren't pictures at all. They were drawings. Shocked, he turned to Suzume, inquiring, "...photographic memory?" She shook her head, motioning to a the rough outline, where the point guard could make out a faint scene of Suzume staring at what looked like a photo album. He could only guess that she had spent enough time staring at the pictures to remember what they looked like. Turning back to her current sketch, she left Takao to confront Midorima. He started by waving the drawings in the other's face.

"Do you see now, Shin-chan? Suzume-chan is your daughter just as much as she is mine. Sure, she's a meddlesome kid, but for her to be so determined not to give up despite her circumstances is her gift from _you_."

"...what do you mean by that?" Midorima asked, slightly confused. He was certain that her unyielding dedication to whatever obstacle she encountered was the doing of them both.

Takao waved it away. "You'll see, Shin-chan. Just not now."

"If you say so," the Miracle sighed with resignation. "I only hope that my parents will allow her being here. It'll be hard enough for them to do _that _without including that Suzume is... _ours."_

"And what do you mean by that, Shintarou?"

The two froze, not realizing that the green-haired teen's mother was behind them.

"By context, I take it you mean that this girl is your child with Kazunari-kun. Please explain."

Takao, in all his years, never thought he'd have to deal with in-laws he didn't yet have.

* * *

**(1) the traditional coin toss: Every day, Midorima and Takao have a coin toss to see who will man the rickshaw, but up until this story, Midorima's always won the passenger's seat.**

**(2) Suzume...-san: Midorima's still not entirely comfortable with the fact that Suzume exists and therefore doesn't know how to address her, despite her being his daughter. So he adds an honorific because he's still a bit reluctant to accept her.**

**(3) Suzume joining the next school year: As I've explained in previous chapter notes, the Japanese school year starts in April. Since it's the Friday before their spring break, Takao wants to see if he can enroll Suzume during that time. He wants her to attend Shuutoku starting from his and Midorima's second year.**

* * *

**You guys are going to kill me. I can feel it! Not only is the chapter shorter, but it's almost late! (Well, since it's almost midnight where I am, meaning it's almost Sunday and not Saturday.**

**But I had trouble writing this... "X| Tell me what you think I could improve on, like getting them more in character. Or grammar.**

**/sighs  
I'll get the review responses up within 24 hours, okay? It's just... the week before Finals is almost worse than the actual Finals.**

* * *

**LoveGonzo2: **E-eh? Really? How come? /blushes Thanks for thinking I'm adorable! And this story is full of my headcanons, like Aomine being easily embarrassed when his kids are involved. And I updated... but prolly not what you had in mind, yeah? Please don't kill me... And is the MidoTaka satisfactory? I'll do my best to keep it up! Thanks!

**hitomi65: **Thank you! :3 I appreciate you taking your time to reply, even with a simple message!**  
**

**DivineCluster: **Oh, the angst was good? /sigh of relief I'm actually better at writing angst, but I didn't want it to be too heavy... yet. And dude(tte), you ship all the ships I sail! /high five Thank you!

**MikaE123:** I'm sorry! I left such a huge cliffhanger on AoKise Day! But you'll find that I do that sort of thing often... whoops. And I'm so glad that my fic had that effect on you! I often flail when reading other people's stories, so it feels good that I can be counted among them. :3 And I try to post every Tuesday and Saturday, but I jump around in terms of chapter focus so we can get everyone in. (And as for AoKise and other ship days, they're determined by the players' jersey numbers. May seventh, 5/7, is Aomine's number and Kise's number. Other examples: October eleventh, 10/11, KagaKuro Day; April twelfth, 4/12, AkaFuri Day, etc.)

**Guest (guest): **I did?! Whoops! (But yes, I do enjoy it. /evil laugh) But I know the feeling, since I just recently finished a book that killed me with the last line (which was "end of book one"). I will have a nice day, and thank you!

**Me-likey-Stowie (guest): **Okay, I'm going to take a wild guess and say you're the same person as the anon guest...? But happy (belated) AoKise Day all the same!

**Crazy anko (guest): **Aw, thanks! It drove me crazy when other authors had an unstable sched (and I admit to being guilty of the same thing in the past), so I try to keep it constant. And where I live, it was still Tuesday when I posted. Sorry if I didn't make the deadline for your area! And as for the Ahomine trait... well, we haven't really gotten to meeting the kids and undermining their full personalities, plus there's Mai. So there's still a chance something else could pop up besides Kise's spazziness. XD And yes, HyuuRiko's baby, though it'll probably be something none of you ever saw coming. Hontou ni arigatou gozaimasu! Kayoubi no chaputaa wo matte kudasai!**  
**

**Little Strawberry RiRin Chan: **Heh! I do that sometimes, too, then I have a little freak out over what just happened. OH GOD PLEASE DON'T KILL ME. I NEED TO KEEP WRITING. AND MY FRIEND BECKY ALMOST THROTTLED ME IN PRE-CAL. But glad I could make your day! Woot, HyuuRiko! And there will be more KagaKuro in the near future, so please look forward to it! I will do my best to continue this quest of epicness!

**Ren-a-gayed: **First, let me just say that I love your penname. XD And yes, I will update as often as I can! I'm glad to hear that you enjoy the parallel concept! (Originally, I came up with it being that way because I personally can't grasp MPreg "X|) Thank you!

**jenrose257:** LOL HI BECKY. And yes. You are super predictable, so I knew you wanted to yell at me. HA. And yes, yes, update, yeesh... You are so demanding, woman. XD See you in class!

**Fantita: **Glad that you like Aomine's parents! I wanted to make them different from what maybe what peope would expect, or at least have them turn out a little normal. And yes, Papa Aomine's got a huge role in this, so... (/ambiguous laugh) And we shall gather all the families together in time, don't worry~ Midorima will have more time to get used to Suzume, if Takao's got anything to do with it.

**Reimei-Jennoir: **You like the AoKise drama I'm drumming up? That's great! I figured I needed to make the backstories for these boys different from what the readers anticipate, so BOOM. Immediate angst! And I do love writing out how everyone interacts with each other once the ball gets rolling on their story. Please continue to enjoy the story, and thank you!

**Matthew (guest) (2): **XD Oh, gosh beans, I'm sorry if this confused the heck out of you. I wrote it according to what I know as far as the manga is updated, which is a lot farther ahead than the anime, so apologies for the confusion you're facing. But yes, I love making the atmosphere between these boys awkward. It's interesting to see how they react~ Thank you!

**HeArTzCrImSoNaNdGoLd: **GOOD GOSHBEANS, THANK YOU! I'm glad it's unique and that you enjoy it so much! And Sei-san? (/ambiguous evi laugh) I won't say anything~ But you'll see. XD


	6. Chapter 6: Together

**Hello, my duckies~ I'm back! Wait, what? It's been how long, you say? Two months and seven days? Ahhahaha...**

**But no, seriously, I feel bad for leaving you all pining for an update for so long. The thing is, after the last update was my Finals (last day May 23), so I was super busy. And then the Monday after school got out, I took an international flight because I started college abroad. So I was busy for all of two weeks after school ended and my first day of college was on June 10th.**

**So I've been adjusting, getting used to cultural differences, different schooling style, making new friends, and settling in with my cousins (who are also at my college). And don't worry, I'll probably be updating regularly again after this. I mean, I already have most of the next chapter...**

**Without further ado, I hope you all enjoy the return! ^^**

* * *

Within minutes of Midorima's unknowing slip about Suzume in front of his mother, they were all seated in the living room. Midorima Chieko sat in her lavish gray armchair, one leg crossed menacingly over the other, a demanding and commanding authority. Before her was a simply coffee table upon which a potted bonsai lay, beyond that the loveseat where her son and Takao rested uneasily. Yuriko had been banned from the living room, but she continued to watch the drama unfold from the staircase, prompting the dark-haired girl to join her. The latter shook her head and silently bustled into the kitchen.

"So, Shintarou," Chieko sighed. "What have you to say for yourself?"

Midorima and Takao shared a hesitant glance, unsure of how to approach the situation. The shooting guard broke contact first, the guinea pig in his own experimental bid. "Mother, I do have a reason behind this, though not all variables are known or plausible."

"Go on."

The green-haired teen swallowed dryly; the no-nonsense glaze over his mother's dark, verdant eyes did not bode well if he were to speak from experience. Behind him, he heard Yuriko snigger under the pretense of a (rather unsubtle) cough.

"Though I lack ability to see any logical, possible way of this occurring, Suzume has come from an alternate-parallel universe wherein time transpires at a faster rate and they are completely aware of other alternate-parallel existences. Her parents are that universe's equivalent of myself and a female version of Takao. Something of dire importance appears to have taken place, as she and nine others like her have somehow broken through the dimensional borders with the sole mission of getting their parents of this world to— to—"

Takao nudged him lightly, encouraging Midorima to get accustomed to the idea. "Shin-chan means to say 'together.'"

"Yes, thank you. From what I have gathered so far, Takao and I are not the only ones affected. Seirin's Kagami Taiga and Kuroko Tetsuya appear to be a pair. Touou's Aomine Daiki and Kaijou's Kise Ryouta are a set. The only other one revealed as of yet is Furihata Kouki of Seirin, who appears to be the mother of at least one of the kids, though who his apparent husband is has not been disclosed."

Chieko leaned back in her armchair, uncrossing her legs, as she took in the information and analyzed it. Takao attempted to give Midorima a proud smile, but the target was too nervous to receive as he watched for his mother's reaction.

"Shintarou, are you absolutely sure that this is the case? From an outsider's viewpoint, this is highly illogical, improbable, and implausible. There are too many holes in the story for it to be accepted as the truth. Are you certain that you have a full grasp on the situation? Have you considered the fact that this girl may simply be lying?" The questions came as rapid fire, and with each one, Midorima's heart clenched with some form of vexation.

"Mother, I assure you, I have. But Suzume has no benefits to gain from going about her claims."

Beside him, Takao shifted anxiously. Chieko, in turn, snorted and continued with, "So you can readily accept that she is a product of your marriage to Kazunari-kun? What evidence do you have that she's even yours?"

Midorima adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose; this was irking, to have to convince someone who was so unwilling to simply play along for the time-being. "Yes, I can accept that. Suzume has exhibited numerous physical and psychological traits that are derived from either myself or Takao. The glasses she's using now are indeed the ones I wore when I lost to Seirin for the first time. But if you observe as carefully as I hope, you noticed they were still displayed on my desk, meaning that the pair Suzume possesses comes from her universe."

"So she looks like you and acts like you. Fascinating," she replied in a biting tone. Midorima's grip on the arm of the loveseat tightened. "So can a monkey if given any amount of cosmetic surgery and adequate training—"

"But Suzume is not a monkey. Nor does she have any artificial means of existing the way she does now," he spat back.

Chieko frowned disapprovingly at this. "Are you admitting that you and Kazunari-kun are in that kind of relationship? As I understand, you both were trusting enough of one another to conceive—"

"Mother, why is it so hard for you to see that what is happening is not debatable?" he retorted. "Suzume is the product of our relationship, had it been that Takao was born female and we fast forwarded to the future. If you wish for understanding at this very moment, then don't get involved. If you are willing to wait for answers, then simply place your trust in us for the time being. We're doing what we can, but Suzume's importance as our daughter is a far greater priority to Kazunari and I."

Chieko stared at her son dumbly, taken aback by his interruption, to name one thing. Yuriko mumbled a soft "oh, jeez" and scurried away to the second floor. The green-haired teen cast a glance at the boy next to him, caught off-guard by the blush that seemed to result from both embarrassment and a miniscule of happiness. _What had brought on that reaction?_

"Shin-chan, you just used my first name."

It took a few seconds for Midorima to recall what he had said on Suzume's behalf, but he thrashed about when he did. How could he have slipped for a second time in the span of a mere ten minutes? Now his mother would suspect something was already taking place between him and his point guard!

"Shintarou, are you and Kazunari-kun already _courting?"_

_Goddammit._

"No, we're not!"

"Really?" she pressed. "Are you absolutely truthful about this?"

Midorima wished the floor would eat him. Honestly. This was so mortifying, to be harassed in this way by his own mother. His gut screamed at him to disappear as quickly as possible, confident that Takao would join in the mockery.

"Shin-chan and I are just friends, seriously. I mean, we want to help Suzume-chan, but Shin-chan wouldn't want that. So I won't make him."

Midorima blinked at his teammate, not expecting such a mature answer...

_No matter how disappointed he felt._

The Miracle flinched at the added thought; there was no reason for him to be disappointed whatsoever! ...was there?

A new presence joined them, setting a tea tray on the edge of the coffee table. Suzume smiled warmly at her family members and poured three cups for each of them. Chieko eyed her warily, but the reality-jumper showed no notice of the fact.

The bespectacled girl turned to her mom, 'tsk'ing disapprovingly. "Mommy, you should know by now that just because Daddy seems uninterested doesn't mean he's uninterested." Turning to Chieko, she beamed a simple, "hello, Grandmother."

Immediately, Chieko took Suzume's face in her hands, scrutinizing every inch of her appearance. The woman's hard emerald eyes softened as she recognized the familiar shade of Suzume's eyes and the hue her hair took. As she released the reality-jumper's face, her hands trembled slightly. Yuriko had crept halfway down the staircase again, having decided that the conversation was too interested to ignore after all.

"Shintarou, I will ask one last time; are you sure Suzume is your biological daughter?"

He cocked his head to the side, thinking a moment before responding, "I believe so. If you wish, I give my consent to have our blood tested. I see no reason as to why our DNA should be any different, despite the matter of a parallel world."

"I see." Straightening herself out, she stood to leave, but bowed in Takao's direction before she did so. Startled, Takao turned to Midorima for help.

None was offered.

"Thank you, Kazunari-kun, for taking care of Shintarou and for giving me such a cute granddaughter! You have my permission to continue your courtship."

"Mother!"

"What, Shintarou? You have your Oha-Asa hobby, and parallel universe theories are mine. Though this one doesn't seem to be much of a theory anymore and you _do_ seem to have a natural inclination for Kazunari-kun." She, in as dignified a manner as she could manage, turned to retire upstairs, smiling to herself knowingly.

Suzume pouted at the tea left untouched on the table and resolved to finishing it all herself. Midorima had frozen in place, unable to form a coherent thought after his mom's unpredictable pageant. Takao could feel the embarrassment radiating onto his own cheeks, and the back of his neck felt hot.

"Shin-chan, what the hell was that?"

"I can honestly say that I was caught unawares as well. Mother seemed to be functioning normally until Suzume entered..."

Takao pondered to himself, replaying the conversation from the very beginning to himself. "You know, you fought for Suzume using the same arguments I had this morning. Maybe you actually care? Or maybe you actually_ do_ want us to be together?" he joked.

But the deepened flush of Midorima's face backfired on him in addition. Takao averted his gaze, suddenly hyper-aware of the other boy. Sure, he had thought about _being_ with him a few times, but the reassurance of rejection had been so strong that he'd opted not to say anything.

"Shin-chan?" Takao breathed; why was he being so timid out of the blue? He knew the cause of his secrecy on the topic of asking Midorima out was because he knew he would get turned down. He was fine with that, he wanted to keep it platonic.

_But what if Shin-chan says yes?_

The hawk pushed the thought aside. There were more things to worry about than a one-in-a-million chance and possible heartbreak.

"What?" The stoic response was something more of an automated reaction, but Midorima broke out of his stupor as he was enveloped by Takao's arms around his torso. The embrace was friendly, but Midorima couldn't help noting that it felt rather nice.

"Thank you for accepting Suzume-chan." The shooting guard shoved Takao's head away to arm's distance rigidly, forcing the rest of his body to follow suit. "Ow, what the hell was that for?"

"Stop clinging. It's annoying."

"Oh, come on!" Takao pouted. "It's not like I even hugged you for that long. Plus it was a gratitude hug! You can't turn down a gratitude hug!"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I just did." Suzume watched, not saying a word, sipping her tea quietly. It was comforting to see them banter over something so trivial as a hug. Yuriko gave a self-satisifed smirk at the scene while she studied the drawings she had swiped off her brother's desk.

Midorima stretched a bit on the loveseat, making an effort to tune out Takao's needless whining. He recalled the lightness he experienced in his chest when he had acknowledged Suzume as both his and Takao's daughter and decided that his next course of action couldn't be left to fate. The Miracle wanted to see if he was as lucky as he thought and try his hand at accepting some other factors of his life previously gone ignored.

* * *

While he and Takao were busy discussing the details of Suzume's stay, it seemed that Chieko had been up to something of her own devices. She energetically—at least, in her son's opinion—beckoned the reality-jumper up to the second floor. Without hesitation, Suzume bounded up, charging the stairs two at a time.

"Wait, Suzume!" Takao called, startled. "Are... are you sure it's okay to go up alone...?"

Suzume abruptly paused in the middle of her relocation process, rolling her eyes at Takao and staring at the two of them blankly.

"Let her go," Midorima ruled. "It'll be fine."

The dark-haired girl gave an appreciative smile and went on her way. The hawk, on the other hand, fussed quite a bit, smacking his partner's arm in protest.

"Why'd you tell Suzume it was fine to go up alone? I've never seen your mother act that way—heck, _you've_ never seen your mother act that! How can you be so—"

He was cut off when Midorima pressed a cup of tea against his lips. Begrudgingly, he accepted it and sipped tentatively; it was really good, especially considering the Midorima family didn't own a coffee or tea maker. Suzume had made it from scratch.

"Of course she'll be fine. She is who she is, and Suzume obviously knows how her grandmother will handle her better than we do."

Then he did something very unlike himself.

"Sh-Shin-chan, why are you patting my shoulder?" The Miracle blushed beet red and tugged it away again.

"Nothing. Forget I did anything."

Takao set the teacup down. "...Shin-chan, were you trying to be comforting? Reassuring me our daughter would be alright?"

"I said to forget I did anything, didn't I?"

"Aw, Shin-chan, you're so sweet! I'm glad our daughter has such a sensitive, caring father."

"Stop—! Actually, get out of this house! You are no longer welcome for the evening!"

As the shooting guard started to rise from the loveseat in an embarrassed haste, Takao locked his arms around his chest, nuzzling lightly into his arm. "Thank you, Shin-chan. For everything." Midorima grabbed Takao's arms to release himself from the embrace and was stopped by a simple two words followed by a tightened squeeze.

"Gratitude hug."

So they stayed that way for a while, unbothered by the three females jabbering away upstairs. Midorima decided something there and then: if this was what it was like to raise a daughter with Takao, then he wouldn't mind...at least, not too much.

* * *

Suzume skipped up the steps to join her grandmother, who awaited her eagerly atop the landing. She wondered excitedly what it was that Chieko had in store for her. Yuriko smiled down at her from behind the rather eccentric woman, obviously just as hyped as she was, though her purpose for glee might have differed.

"Suzume, you have not yet acquired lodgings for the duration of your stay, correct?" Chieko asked. Suzume nodded, wondering where the conversation was going. "Excellent. It is a blessing that I haven't allowed Yuriko to use the spare bedroom as an art studio."

The brunette gave her mother a playful shove, fighting indignantly with, "I only use it as an art gallery! I already put Suzume's drawings up!"

"Yuriko, be mindful of your age. Please address Suzume properly." The reality-jumper stared in surprise at her grandmother.

Yuriko caught the look on the bespectacled girl's face and jumped in to save her. "Um, Mother, I know Suzume's older than me right now, but technically speaking she's my niece. She feels weird about me calling her anything else."

"Oh, is that so, Suzume? Very well, then, but besides that you are to use the guest bedroom here for as long as you are here. Help yourself to anything in the fridge and—oh, Yuriko, be sure to tell your brother that Suzume needs a copy of the house keys, just in case. The guest room has its own bathroom and I've prepared essentials for you when you need them. When you're finished familiarizing with the layout of the house, be sure to alert me. We will depart at once for the bank and then proceed to the department sto—"

A faint piano riff sounded off from the pocket of Chieko's slacks and she scowled slightly. "My apologies, Suzume, I have to take this. I'm on call today." She went off downstairs as she answered, keeping her conversation curt.

"Don't worry about Mother, Suzu," Yuriko prompted, patting her on the shoulder. It was awkward because the chestnut-haired nine-year-old was so much shorter than she was, but the gesture was nice and gentle. "She's just a little weird. I suppose we all are, but we're good people... mostly. Anyway, she's a surgeon and—"

"Sorry, Suzume," Chieko called from the first floor. She was shrugging on a coat and had a clutch purse in hand. "You'll have to wait until tomorrow for those errands. I've got an emergency at the hospital and they need me to come in."

Yuriko gave a noncommittal grunt and elbowed Suzume. "Come on. Let's go check out your new room while Ms. Hospital Director is gone. When she comes back, she'll already have your wedding planned out."

The older girl sent a wistful gaze down the stairs, stardust eyes slightly concerned. There was a pit forming in her stomach. But things were okay for now. It was a Friday evening and tomorrow would be a beautiful Saturday full of her family. She disregarded the ominous throbbing and trailed after Yuriko.

* * *

"Anyway, Shin-chan, do you think Suzume-chan should enroll this coming school year?"

"Takao, education is mandatory, regardless of dimension or universe. Besides, my Mother knows about Suzume, so it doesn't appear that there are options anyway," the shooting guard retorted. Takao rolled his eyes.

"Just a question, Shin-chan, no need to be rude. So what should we do tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" Midorima adjusted his glasses. "I have nothing planned for tomorrow. Why do you ask?"

"Shin-chan, we should take some time with Suzume-chan and at least _try _to learn about our daughter, don't you think? She's only been here for two days and we don't know squat about her!" Midorima considered something for a while, sipping idly at his tea. It was his third cup, but he didn't want to waste Suzume's efforts.

He set the cup down and rung his fingers. "...I have no idea what we should do."

Takao sighed irritably. "At least think about it a little more, Shin-chan! What do you think Suzume wants to do?"

"I honestly don't know!" he protested. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm not too keen on what exactly teenage girls do to occupy themselves, much less what our daughter is interested in!" Upon realizing what he had said, Midorima hid the hard-pressed line on his lips behind his interlocked fingers. The metaphoric wince helped to brace for what was to come only a little bit.

However, despite his anticipation, the hawk did nothing. They sat on the couch, both unwilling to break the silence, occasionally taking the cautious, tentative sip of tea. Takao played with his fringe, rearranging individual hairs at his hairline, shuffling the follicles until they simply flopped undecidedly in the middle of his forehead. The Miracle developed a short-lived obsessive compulsive disorder regarding the placement and cleanliness of his glasses.

"Takao?" he finally asked with a resigned sigh. The hawk blinked at him distantly. "Do you think we're doing this right...?"

"Doing what right? We haven't really been doing much of anything, to be honest."

"Exactly my sentiments. We have done less as Suzume's parents in two days than my mother has accomplished in a mere two hours," Midorima huffed. "Are we fit to be parents? Are we doing something wrong? Can Suzume still count on us—Takao, please stop that this instant."

The point guard had pressed the porcelain to his partner's mouth in an attempt to shut him up in the same manner the shooting guard had done earlier, though the latter could have sworn the brunet was actually trying to exact revenge via aspiration.

"Shin-chan, you've been drinking this tea all evening, haven't you? Why is that?" the hawk suddenly inquired, leaning into Midorima's personal bubble in order to prove his point. The green-haired teen redirected his gaze to the cup and answered.

"Suzume made this tea for us. It would be rude to not accept her good will and intentions, especially because she is who she is."

"Then there's your answer, Shin-chan." The hawk pushed off Midorima's thigh and settled back into his original position on the loveseat. "First, you accepted that, biologically, technically, basically whatever, she is not our daughter but decided to care for her alongside me anyway. Second, you recognize her efforts and appreciate the things she does, like make tea. And like you said, we've only been doing this for two days. Your mother obviously has more experience than we do. But we can still try and learn, Shin-chan. So don't you dare think that you aren't fit or doing something wrong or that she can't count on you."

"I—" Midorima started. He stopped and shifted in his seat, clearing his throat. "Your input is valuable and significant to this cause."

Takao was about to respond with a casual "don't mention it" when a pair of arms embraced him. "Thank you... Kazunari."

And the hawk was entirely glad that Midorima wasn't facing him and that he didn't let go right away—it meant he couldn't see the blush on his face. He was struggling to fight the feelings that he knew he shouldn't have.

_But they were there anyway._

"O-Okay, Shin-chan," he sputtered, cursing inwardly at his convenient inability to speak. "You can let go now."

"Gratitude hug," Midorima grunted back.

The brunet moved his arms to reciprocate the (questionably) friendly embrace, but changed his mind, urgently trying to pry the Miracle from his person. "Shin-chan, you can let go now."

"Did you hear what I said? I'm not going to repeat—"

"But Yuriko—"

Midorima let go and spun to face the staircase, where Yuriko stood with a rather calm expression, the home phone dangling nonchalantly from her hand.

"Am... Am I _interrupting _something?"

"No!" Midorima blurted, putting distance between him and the hawk. "Absolutely not!"

Yuriko narrowed her unbelieving eyes but continued to relay her message. "'Kay, then, if you're sure about that, Mom's on the phone and she needs to talk to you." Midorima accepted the device from his sister, who raced up the stairs again as son as he had it.

"Yes, Mother?"

_"Shintarou, please proceed to the private hospital immediately. This is an urgent matter regarding a recent car accident. Your friends, I believe, are here."_

"At the private...? What car accident? Who?"

_"Just come quickly. We were only able to get the patient's name, Kagami Naoya."_

She hung up and Midorima placed the phone down on the coffee table hurriedly. "Get your things, Takao, we're going to the private hospital," he ordered. He swung by the banister at the base of the stairs. "Suzume! Suzume! We have to go somewhere right now!"

Takao complied, but asked questions while he located his school bag. "Shin-chan, what's going on? What happened?"

Suzume bolted down the steps as best she could without tripping and put her shoes on without question. A panicked look clouded her normally shining silver eyes; she knew she should have said something about the rotten feeling in her gut.

Midorima called up the stairs, "Yuriko! We're going out!" He then turned to Takao, glancing briefly at Suzume.

"I believe that Kagami Naoya has been hit by a car."

* * *

**...aaaaand it's another cliffhanger. :D Y'all are gonna kill me, I can feel it.**

**But this is an idea I got while I thought about what else I could do in the story, and... This is gonna be a reaaaaaally long fic, probably. But it'll be fun, I hope, if you stick around longer!**

**BTW is my character for Midorima's mom okay? I just really like the idea that none of the parents/children of the MiraGen are the typical portrayals, like how Aomine's dad is strict and blah.**

**Next chapter...? LOL YOU'LL SEE**

**Now let your lovely flame reviews tickle my feet~**

* * *

**hitomi65: **Thank you~ vuv

**Little Strawberry RiRin Chan: **Ehh, chup. This how I am, don't pay me any mind. I'll just do what I do! I am now on the other side of the world and not the States, so maybe I'll have a closer time to yours. And really? I helped you get inspiration for a character? vuv I'm flattered! I'm glad I could help!

**Reimei-Jennoir: **Thanks, I was hoping that I could make it dramatic and keep them in character. And I'm sorry you had to wait so long for this chapter, but it's happier than the last one for them!

**DivineCluster: **dfaakdshn I'm glad you think that my short chapter was still good... And I definitely took more than a week or two from writing (which was TERRIBLE, by the way). But now I am quite relaxed and I hope this was the hell of a chapter you were looking for! (If not, please stay in tune for tomorrow. *hint hint*) *dances away interpretively with your AkaFuri comment*

**Fantita: **Yay! I'm glad you liked it! ^^ I love trying to come up with how these characters would react in this kind of situation, and it just kinda happened that way. You're welcome for the update but CLIFFHANGER?! *sobs right beside you*

**HeArTzCrImSoNaNdGoLd: **WOOT, YOU LIKED IT! *confetti party for you and your ships* Hope this chapter ended well in your terms!

**rii96: **Thank you! OwO I'll do my best!

**Stuffy12: **Bleargh sorry if it seemed rushed... But you did hit the mark on Shin-chan acting that way because of Suzume's sudden appearance. I'll try to be better with the pacing in the future!

**MikaE123: **Ship days in other fandoms really just depends on the fandom and the creativity of the fans. And I'm glad you enjoyed the MidoTaka chapter! And AoKise you say? Hohoho... LOL sorry, you probably lost a lot of sleep over this and my lack of updates, but you haven't found me yet! HAH! As for your threat... Hannibal, is that you?

**Sakearose: **Holy wow your review is amazing! OwO Thanks for all your input! Don't worry about the long reviews, don't worry about apologizing too much, and don't think you're being too pushy! But I'm ecstatic that you like my characters~ And YES, all the fangirl squeals~ (but wait I wrote this story what /shot) Go ahead and try stalk me from the shadows! I dare you! (On a side note, don't mind the peeps who leave threats to update and stuff—that's just how they show their love~ I myself have left my fair share of update-or-suffer-the-consequence reviews. But they're all empty promises, I can assure you! ^-^)

**keiko-uchiha: **Thank you~ I hope you continue to enjoy reading in the future!

**cesajules: **:3 OMG Thank you~ I'm glad it's unique! u

**shadow (guest): **Sorry it took so long, but I hope you liked it!

**Guest (guest): **OKIES. Update~ (and tomorrow...?)

**Guest (#2) (guest): **Updated within 3-4 days of your review! (Is that fast enough?) I'm happy you like my story! I did my best to get everyone's personalities down, so I'm glad to hear I got it right. vuv Thanks for dropping a review~


	7. Chapter 7: (Lack of) Cooperation

**Bloop! Wasn't lying when I said I would update soon... Though not as soon as I had planned. Yesterday, I got stuck in traffic for four hours and crap because it rained outside for like three hours and ah I'm tired.**

**Some of you may not find what you're looking for in this chapter, but soon, my duckies. Be patient.**

**Aside from my creepiness, please enjoy this chapter! ^^**

* * *

Aomine merely gazed on in a dazed stupor, body unwilling to move as his brain registered the sight of Kise. Kei and the girl he assumed to be Mai were caught up in their obliviously happy reunion nearby. The ace wanted to slink away unnoticed, but it was far too late for that; the model's face had already descended to scowling at the realization that he was there. Wordlessly, Aomine understood that he was not to contact the blond—verbally, physically, or otherwise—unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Maicchi, who is that?" Kise inquired, resuming his gleeful disposition. The dark bluenet quietly approached the group, minding his distance all the while.

"Momma, this is Kei-nicchi, the one I was telling you about! He looks just like—Poppa!" the young girl exclaimed.

_Oh boy, _Aomine sighed, _they're _both _like their mother._

But he accepted the eager hug from his daughter all the same, grateful and relieved that she was safe.

"Hey, kiddo," he tried, attempting a natural and friendly approach. It wasn't difficult; this was his _daughter_. It didn't matter that he shared her with Kise or that she wasn't actually his or that she was only about a year younger than he was. Aomine Mai was his child and it was only natural that he felt so protective of her. And, he recognized, he cared for Kei in the same way.

"Mai, are you here alone?" Kei asked, glancing at the strangers in the crowd. His sister hit him with the loose sleeve of the large jacket she was wearing. Exasperation showed in her amber eyes.

"Nicchi, you aren't even paying attention, are you? Momma's right here!"

She forcefully turned his head in Kise's direction, eyebrows knitted in anger.

Kei's dark cobalt eyes blinked absently before registering the blond who smiled weakly and waved slightly at him. The reality-jumper took his time examining the golden locks, molten eyes, lengthy eyelashes, and the lone sterling piercing.

"Momma!"

Aomine silently palmed his forehead; if Kei was to inherit any of his behavioral traits, of _course_ it had to be his failure at facial recognition.

Looking at them, Kei stood about an inch shorter than the blond Miracle, taking the ace by surprise. He'd thought that Kei would inherit both his and Kise's monstrous height and surpass at least the shorter player.

And there it was again—the damned automatic blush that colored his face whenever he dared think about his former teammate as—as the mother of his children.

No, seriously, because the existence of their offspring meant they had been intimate on (at least) two separate occasions. And _that_ conjured heated images of Kise, strewn beneath, in front of, and over him… blond tresses wildly out of place… cheeks flushed in their joined heat… pale skin shimmering in sweat… marigold eyes lewdly clouded and half-closed… and his—

Aomine jarred himself back to reality, stifling a decidedly uncomfortable groan. He _really_ didn't want to be there any longer than was necessary considering his body reacted to Kise so inappropriately despite being in public. Weight shifted from one foot to the other uneasily.

"Well, then," Mai sighed, "let's get going. We have a lot of things to buy, and I wanna get lunch by one."

Kise obliged, taking Mai's arm in his own, chattering on about what to get for her and Kei as they headed into the closest department store. The blond reality-jumper bounded after them like a hyperactive puppy. The Touou ace began to sidle away until the blond Miracle caught sight of him and sent a menacing glare his way.

Grumbling to himself, Aomine reluctantly trailed behind, attempting to rid himself of the blush that had been revived.

_Kise's kinda… hot when he's angry._

* * *

Kise couldn't help but feel annoyed at how the day had turned out thus far.

Well, to begin with, he had run into Mai two days before, on Wednesday, discovering she was being badgered by scouts from his modeling agency. Simply being curious and nosy, he'd stepped up to intervene, causing the agents to skulk away due to the fact that, hey, they couldn't upset their biggest benefactor.

The copycat had originally intended to ask her out to distract himself from Ao—a certain person, but upon consideration the notion felt… wrong. He'd settled for escorting her to her destination instead when she demanded that he take her to his home.

He'd been surprised as all hell, of course, more so by the fact that she seemed more hostile than suggestive about it. A café nearby allowed them time to sort out her story, wherein she'd bluntly declared her name and parentage and world of origin.

Kise had tried his damnest to write her off as a delusional street urchin, but there had been something all too familiar in her honey eyes, something composed, cold, calculating…

Besides, he couldn't exactly ignore her porcelain mocha complexion, caught somewhere between his own rosy pallor and Ao—a certain person's rugged tan. Her hair was like that person's, too, all dark and shimmering with detached cruelty. In addition to all that, Kise had witnessed closely enough how she acted when alone in public: guarded, ignorant of others, head held high as though everyone else was insignificant.

Aomine Mai was, in every way possible, his and a certain ace's daughter.

And, just like her father, Kise could tell that her ultimatum was something she wished to bury deeply. There was a greater purpose behind her actions. Kise resigned to helping her, but unfortunately that involved _him._

It was a rather unfortunate circumstance that accompanied having a daughter—and now a son as well—but he was sort of glad to have the opportunity to meet them.

And maybe he could clear things up with Aominecchi.

_No._

Kise squashed the inkling of hoped that had begun to form. The ace had made it very clear that he'd wanted nothing more to do with him. And Kise wasn't too keen on being heartbroken a second time.

* * *

Aomine wanted to talk to Kise. He knew the reason they weren't on speaking terms was himself and his own actions. It had all been for a greater purpose, but he felt it was too late for an explanation now, given Kise's new line of defense: avoidance.

Still, they needed a truce. Temporarily, of course, since their kids were there, but…

The bluenet sighed. It wasn't going to be easy.

"Oi," he called. "I need to talk to—"

Amber eyes glared, blazing off the last half to the ace's demand. In a single fluid motion, he turned back to Mai and Kei, who were presenting possible phones and patterned cases. The duo quickly whirled back into the aisles, eyes caught on the many products displayed. Aomine swallowed and tried again.

"Kise, I need to—"

"No," he retorted immediately. "We're here to get Mai's and Kei's things, get lunch, and go home. Separately. That's it."

The ace frowned at the snippy response; he couldn't get a damn word in! He dug into the pocket of his jeans (which were loose and a little more than baggy) and withdrew the wad of cash his dad had given him. Then he snatched the white plastic shopping basket out of Kise's manicured fingers, threw in the money, and shoved it into Kei's chest.

"Here," Aomine huffed. "Put in whatever you and Mai need, get a cart if you want. There's money in the basket, but don't spend it all. Pay when you're set and we'll meet you back at the house. Tell my parents the truth. I need to talk to your mom."

Kei turned tail and shuffled away with purpose, scuttling Mai along as she fiddled with the hem of her skirt.

"Hey," Kise spat, visibly aggravated. He pounded a palm against Aomine's shoulder to get his attention. "What the heel was that for, jacka—"

The tan ace sealed the blond's mouth with a hand of his own.

"I wasn't lying when I said I needed to talk to you." Aomine slipped his hand from Kise's mouth down to his hand, tugging him along without further explanation.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the miniscule pout played on the model's lips before it evaporated into a hard-pressed scowl. He could tell the cute gesture had been out of habit; he'd known the blond long enough to tell. The ace forced his gaze away; even if he wanted a truce, he had no grounds to stare at Kise's mouth, let alone think of what he wanted to do with it.

Nonetheless, the blond didn't fight as much as Aomine had anticipated, dragging behind him silently.

"…you could at least tell me where you're taking me, jerk."

Aomine didn't answer.

Kise frowned and repeated what he had said.

Still no answer.

Instead, he allowed himself to be led out of the department store after practically skipping down two flights of stairs. They ignored the odd stares they received on their way—half he believed were due to the fact that they were good-looking, the other half due to the fact that they were… holding hands. Kise wrenched his hand away, not bothering with the slight pause the ace took when he did. They hastened out the automatic doors all the same, and only when Aomine hailed a taxi and shoved him in did he start to panic a little.

"Aomine, where the hell—"

But the bluenet clamped a calloused hand over his mouth again. The next words the ace spoke were directed at the driver, but it was worrisome for Kise all the same: the destination was the apartment entrusted to him by his modeling agency.

Kise yanked Aomine's hand off his mouth. "Ao—"

"Doesn't feel good to be ignored, does it?"

"Shut up and don't touch me ever again," he snarled in response.

Sensing the heavy atmosphere in the conversation, the driver put on soft music, attempting to drown out the conversation in order not to overhear.

The model settled for a silent glare and put his arms up defensively.

"Don't worry, sunshine, I ain't gonna touch you."

"What the hell do you want, then? If it's an apology, stuff it. Do yourself a favor and don't waste your energy."

"Not to burst your bubble, but I'm not apologizing for anything. I just need to talk to you, like I said."

Kise crossed his arms and sank into the door of the taxi, away from the ace. "Can't we just talk somewhere that's not my apartment, then?"

Aomine scoffed and mirrored him, taking refuge against the opposing exit. "Not unless you're okay with this driver or the press getting wind of Kei and Mai and who they really are."

No response was given and the rest of the distance was traveled in quiet. Aomine pressed a bill into the driver's palm, not waiting for change as he ushered Kise out of the car.

They only spoke once inside the apartment. The blond locked the door, then changed his mind and leaned against the entrance warily. Amber monitored the ace prowling around the enclosed space.

"What did you want to talk about?"

Aomine wandered to the nearest seat—the couch—and waited for Kise's consent to sit, which was given begrudgingly.

"We need to talk about…" he made a sloppy sweeping gesture at nothing in particular, "…this."

The model snorted from his spot at the door. "And pray tell, what is 'this'?" Dark cobalt eyes shot an annoyed look at the ochre pair.

"Do you really need me to specify? I mean _all_ of this. Mai and Kei, our kids. How to take care of them. Making sure they get what they need so they can go back to their real parents. And we need to talk about us."

Kise shifted his weight to the other foot. "Why do we need to talk about us? There's _nothing_ between us, nothing to talk about."

"That's why we need to talk," Aomine said.

"No, we don't."

"Yes, we do!" the ace yelled. "How are we supposed to raise two of our children if we can't work together?"

Kise averted his molten gold gaze. "We don't. We work separately. That's how you wanted… _this _to be, isn't it?"

The Touou player heaved a sigh; to have thought that this wouldn't be easy was an understatement. He rubbed the nape of his neck thoughtfully. "Please sit down."

"…what?"

"Please sit down," repeated Aomine. "I don't want to end up standing and cornering you if I lose my temper. And I need you to understand how important this is."

Cautiously, Kise obliged and inched towards the other end of the couch.

"_This_ isn't about you and me. It's about Kei and Mai."

"Then why—"

"Have you looked them in the eye? Have you talked properly, listened to them? Have you watched them closely enough to notice? They're trying so hard to make us feel like they're normal, like everything is just peaches and cream back home. Those kids wouldn't be _here_, in _this _world, looking for _us_ if we were able to take care of them properly. There's too much sadness in their eyes for us to not be concerned."

Cornwall eyes bore into Kise, expecting some kind of reaction. The model uncrossed and re-crossed his legs, staring pensively at the ebony shag carpet.

"What does all that have to do with _us_, exactly?"

…but not that kind of reaction.

Aomine palmed his forehead in frustration. He wanted to stand up and yell at the blond for being so indifferent, uncooperative, thick, and for not grasping his meaning. However, he had given his word that he wouldn't.

"Kei and Mai's problems have _everything_ to do with this. With _us_. They're our _kids. _They're _our_ kids. Does that bring to mind anything at all? Anything about... _us _in particular?" The ace studied Kise's face, scrutinizing for any hint of realization. He struggled to hide the blush on his own.

Thankfully, the copycat seemed to understand what he was getting at and met Aomine's eyes in disbelief. A brief second passed and they both turned away, heat flooding their cheeks. As if things between them weren't awkward enough. The ace closed his eyes and tried to regainh is composure in certain places.

"We're… well, in the other world, we're married. Kei told me as much. I don't think it'll help them if we're always acting like we're on the brink of divorce."

That last statement took Kise by surprise; he hadn't actually considered his personal relationships to be a benefactor of Kei and Mai's well-being. And he certainly hadn't expected to be told something so profound by someone like Aomine. The dark-haired teen didn't wait for a reaction and went on.

"The last thing I want is to fail them a second time."

Kise cautiously lifted his eyes aback to the other's face, studying the morose expression that had settled there. It was highly unlike the Miracle to look so down-hearted, guilty, and regretful. Even when he knew that what he was doing hurt others, it seemed that the ace rather enjoyed being a chaotic and sadistic exhibitionist.

This was something Kise knew from experience. _Personal _experience.

And if this much raw emotion was true, then Aomine definitely wasn't lying. The blond breathed deeply and audibly.

"Fine," he conceded at last. "But this truce will only last for the duration of their stay. In fact, the truce will only be in effect if one of the two kids is present. Otherwise, you _will_ keep your distance. Capiche?" He heard the forfeiting albeit hesitant sigh the bluenet gave.

"Capiche," he echoed.

Kise nodded, "Good. Glad we have an understanding. Let's return to Kei and Mai."

In wordless agreement, Aomine mirrored Kise's efforts to get up and head to the door. As they reached their shoes at the entrance landing, the blond pressed an accusing finger against Aomine's chest.

"And don't you _ever_ come here without my say-so again."

The ace gave a noncommittal shrug and they proceeded to reconvene with their children.

However, Kise only got so far as locking the front door when his cellphone chimed loudly. He answered without checking the caller ID.

"Hello?" he chirped, feigning glee. "Eh—Kurokocchi? You never call, so I—" The model's face blanched ominously. He shot Aomine a panicked glance. "You have Kai and Mai—why are you at Midorimacchi's…? Are they okay? Are they hurt? No? Then wha— Who? Oh. Oh my God. Yes, we'll be there right away. I'm so sorry, Kuroko."

Aomine, who had been listening and trying to piece the conversation together, was more than surprised when the blond grabbed his hand and started for the nearest busy street. _Were they getting a taxi?_

"What's going on?"

"Change of plans. We're going to the hospital. Kurokocchi's there with the kids.

The ace's eyes widened, alarms clanging inside his head. "They're fine, right? Don't tell me they're hurt." _Don't tell me we already failed to protect them._

Kise shook his head, voice squeaking out, "No, they're fine." His grip on Aomine's hand tightened. "But Naoya isn't." The ace wondered briefly how Kise knew about Naoya, but let the matter go in greater interest of the situation at hand.

"What happened to Naoya? How are Kei and Mai involved?" The tanned figure spun the model to face him, gently turning his chin up until midnight met high noon.

"Naoya's in the ER. He was hit by a car," he choked. "Aomine, Mai was the one that pushed him into it."

* * *

**Ah, so yes. This is how Aomine and Kise are involved... Bloop. :D**

**Sorry if it isn't what you all were expecting, but I'll have the next part up soon as well, and then I'll resume my update schedule! (Though I may change it to Tuesdays and Fridays because it's more convenient with my stupid hectic schedule.)**

**BECKY WHERE ARE YOU**

* * *

**rii96: **YOU WERE LEFT ON A CLIFF BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE I DROVE THE STORY. SORRY. Look forward to the next chapter for an apology gift! 3O

**hitomi65:** Thank you~

**cesajules:** navfiajeinfadnvanfa *melts from kindness* Thank you! I try to write well, but I didn't know it could be perceived as wonderful... uvu

**loliconkawaii (5): **You do?! Thank you~ I try to get the characters down pat as best as I can, so it's great to hear that I'm doing okay! I'll keep trying my best!

**forgotten music lover: **Naoya? Well, he won't die, that's for sure... And thank you! I try to make the children be a mix of their parents, but not exactly like them either. And yeah, the time that they all appear is staggered, but the reason behind that will be explained at a later date. And the AoKise angst?! Woo! Just a different take on how their relationship could turn out... but it has its reasons, too! Please look forward to it!

**Divine Cluster: **OMG XD Sorry it took so long! Please don't kidnap me, I have college to tend to... OvO your MidoTaka comment about them being the quiet ones... WAHHHH! Now I wanna write some smutty epilogue. (Though I can't write smut and the end is a long, long way off.) Maybe I can get someone I know to write one for me... Hopefully she'll agree. (Now look what you made me do, you made me plan a smutastic end for those who want one. *hides under a rock*) AND YES, look forward to the fourth MiraGen pairing! Thanks for your well-wishes, too. uvu

**MikaE123: **Hahah! Maybe I am a sadist... But my beautiful ships will have to brave the storms before they get to smooth sailing~ And yes, I do feel bad about throwing my boy Naoya under the bus (figure of speech) but this is important! It'll make things happen next chapter, BIG things! Just wait and see! And I do feel guilty that I didn't update long enough that you forgot about this story, but that won't be happening again anytime soon (hopefully). And boo to my personal info on the net. I don't even tell my real name when I order food at restaurants. But I'm glad to hear that I was able to hook you back on board with my story, though I do apologize for ruining your fangirl/fanboy giggles. Keep trying to find the happiness, darling, it's going to be overcast for a while longer.

**HeArTzCrImSoNaNdGoLd: **Yeah, sorry about him... And yes, he does have a sis to find, but he'll need to recover a bit before that happens. OvO Sorry! Please read as many times as you wish, it makes me happy to know that this is worth rereading! (Even if it's just to get familiar with storyline events again.) Thank you~

**Fantita: **Woot! Hooray for cliffhangers! /shot But yeah, MidoTaka is just one of those fluff-loaded couples—I don't understand how they can be so adorabeezles! And a gratitude kiss, you say? How is it that you readers can pinpoint some obscure details of future events?! Heh, glad Midorin's mom is kickin', I figured he had to get his quirks from somewhere. Please look forward tot he next chapter!

**Little Strawberry RiRin Chan: **YES I AM A GUTSY NUT. I feel bad about doing that to Naoya, but it's necessary (as messed up as that sounds)! Glad you like Midorin's family, and see you next chapter~


	8. Chapter 8: Playing the Fool

**Hey hey! It's been a while, so I'll save my griping for the end note. *sweats nervously* You lovely duckies just scroll on down~**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Playing the Fool**

* * *

"Hey… Kuroko, are you sure you're okay with this?"

The small bluenet gave a slight nod of affirmation. "I'm fine if it's with you, Kagami-kun."

"No, I know that, but won't it hurt when we…?"

"Let's deal with it when we get there."

Kagami locked eyes with the Phantom, crimson riddled with concern meeting nonchalant sky blue. "But we should seriously give this more thought. Coach'll have our heads if she found out we were skipping practice to—"

Kuroko shot his Light a pleading stare, pouting slightly. The ace hissed and turned his head; the Shadow knew fully well that he was weak to that kind of expression.

"I'm sure she'll understand if we explain. For now—"

"Can't we do this tomo—"

"No, Kagami-kun, we're doing this _now_."

The redhead admitted defeat and heaved a sigh. "Alright, Kuroko. Before we do this, I only have one thing to ask: why did you decide to take Naoya sightseeing on a Friday?!"

"There's less traffic than if we go with the weekend crowds," he deadpanned. "Plus, you won't get in trouble for the English homework you didn't do." Kuroko zipped up the jacket he was wearing and padded off through the hallways of Kagami's apartment to get Naoya.

"That's beside the point!" Kagami called after him. "Won't it look suspicious if all three of us are gone the day after Naoya starts?"

The bluenet gave no answer, leaving his Light to follow him. "Kuroko, did you hear me?"

"It'll be fine, Kagami-kun. No one will notice." The redhead scoffed.

"_You_ they won't, Invisible Man, but what about the weird foreigner and the new guy? They'll notice that."

"Naoya-kun already confirmed that the two of you are related, so I doubt they'll cause you too much trouble on that account."

Kagami groaned and headed back to the main entrance. He pulled on his shoes and started to lace up, deciding that arguing with his partner would lead nowhere. The bluenet was extremely stubborn about the oddest things. Making final adjustments to the collar of his own jacket, Kagami stood up and let out a deep breath; in retrospect, Kuroko was probably right about everything. And it wasn't like they actually did anything on the last day before spring break. If anything of importance happened, the ace was sure it would travel through the grapevine.

The bluenet emerged from the hallway with Naoya at his heels, both sets of cerulean eyes sparkling brightly in anticipation of the day to come. At once, the will to fight died inside Kagami; he couldn't really do anything about the situation at hand when they looked so happy.

"I just can't win," Kagami whined mockingly. "So where are we headed?"

"Ask Naoya," the Phantom redirected.

The boy in question pointed to himself in disbelief. Kagami looked back to Kuroko far a reason as to why their son didn't know what was going on.

"Today is Naoya's day, so we do what he wants."

The redhead considered the notion and replied, "Alright, but no slave-driving, Naoya."

The reality-jumper seemed to still be in shock and began to jitter with excitement. "Really? Whatever I want?" he asked the both of them. His lit-up cerulean eyes turned to his mother for the final ruling.

"Within reasonable legal and monetary boundaries, yes."

"I CHOOSE THE AMUSEMENT PARK!" Naoya burst. Amending his volume level, he repeated, "Let's go to the amusement park."

Kagami nodded, taking the lead out the door. "Amusement parks over English any day," he mumbled.

* * *

_To hell with beating the weekend crowds, Kuroko!_ the ace cursed mentally. The underground train station platform was absolutely teeming with other individuals; businessmen and -women, the elderly, and other teenagers (who seemed to be skipping the last day of school as well) were all crammed into the ridiculously tiny space, pushing and shoving for just a little leeway. They were still so far from the front of the platform that Kagami had to hold back a biting remark. Waiting there would take hours, and he didn't want to waste their bonding time cooped up with people they didn't know.

He heaved a sigh; it wasn't like he was a stranger to these kinds of crowds, it was just that he hated dealing with them. What choice did he have, really? They couldn't just waltz into the tangle expecting a pathway to magically appear, and they couldn't simply meet up at the front lines. His son and the mother of his child weren't exposed to this kind of passive-aggressive swarm.

Kagami shook off the thought before it could manifest as embarrassment and plunged into the fray, forcing a new path on his own. Gripping Naoya's and Kuroko's hands, he plowed through the bodies and demanded passage for the three of them through glares. Being a tall, "scary" foreigner certainly had its advantages at times.

They progressed through to the front of the platform, dangerously close to the safety line. The ace put out his arms so as to keep Naoya and Kuroko from being heaved over onto the tracks.

Perhaps that would be the end of their problems.

The train pulled up and came to a stop and let two agonizing seconds pass before the doors slid open. Unfortunately, the masses surged forward with renewed, frantic energy, threatening to topple the trio where they stood. The redhead had to dig his heels into the ground to ensure that Kuroko and Naoya were safely within reach and that they wouldn't get trampled into oblivion in the midst of the stampede.

After about five seconds of indecisive protection, the ace gave up the endeavor and hurtled the three of them along with the flow of the rush; if he kept up the passive-protective act, they wouldn't get anywhere. Hell, they'd probably still be at the base of the stairs.

Luckily, they made it in time for the doors to shuttle closed, leaving a still growing amount of disappointed travelers shuffling idly on the platform. Unluckily, the enclosed space within the train made them feel more jam-packed than they had been before. Pressing up flush against another person was inevitable in the too-tiny compartment. Everyone aboard seemed to need more space, resulting in constant grumbling and elbowing and insincere "sorry"s.

Scowling at the pushiness of the mob, Kagami quickly ushered Kuroko's lithe body between himself and the doors they were squished against. He was worried that he'd lose sight of the smaller player or that he'd get swept away with the one-track mind of the streaming bodies. Naoya was bigger than the bluenet anyway and actually looked pretty stoked be in such a large crush of bodies.

The maroon-haired teen swept his cornwall eyes over the crowd, taking in the different colors and backgrounds and people gathered in the enclosed space. His self-contained merriment made him appear rather like a puppy ready to explore his world than a troubled teenage boy with a complicated past. _So he was enjoying himself thus far._ The thought softened the scowl on the ace's face, allowing a grin to take its place.

A sudden flash distracted him from the feeling of accomplishment.

Whipping his head to the source of the sudden blinding light, Kagami found Kuroko standing underneath him with a camera in his hands. Large baby blues looked up at him innocently. It wasn't like he'd done anything wrong.

"Kagami-kun had a rare sort of smile. Good thing I caught it on camera."

The ace grumbled and the grimace returned to his features. He leaned down to the Shadow's ear, not wanting to strain his voice. "Don't waste pictures on me. Delete that and save the memory for Naoya." Kagami stood up and took in the pout that the Miracle gave him.

"It's my camera and I can take pictures as I wish, Kagami-kun. Perhaps you're embarrassed?" he teased.

Kagami lowered his head to Kuroko's level a second time and growled, "Fine, but stop making that face, Kuroko! You know I can't—"

The train lurched and swayed abruptly, causing most (if not all) the passengers aboard lose their balance. The masses fell to the side where the pair was having their conversation, pressuring the collective weight onto them. Kagami had to react in such a short amount of time that he wasn't able to support himself well enough; his legs struggled to hold up his own body and maintain balance, forcing him to straddle Kuroko with his knees against the surface of the doors. His arms were on either side of the short Shadow, shielding him from the others who had fallen into the sudden loss of balance.

But Kagami simply couldn't handle all the weight, as much as he tried to. His body was crushed against what felt like everyone on the stupid train and there was practically no fresh air. At once, he felt two sensations coursing through his veins: the first was searing pain, a product of having his head slammed against the firm, sturdy plexi-glass windows of the locomotive.

The second was by far smaller, gentler, and not as all unpleasant, but its effects had greater repercussions overall. A light touch of something warm and soft caressed the skin of his throat, near his jugular, and he knew exactly what it was.

Kuroko had—though entirely on accident—kissed his neck.

Without waiting for a bit of elbow room, Kagami immediately pushed hard against the doors to put distance between him and the Miracle. The two of them didn't attempt to make eye contact. Kuroko busied himself with checking his camera, which looked fine. Kagami started to admire the scenery beyond the windows. And though the bluenet continued on with his poker face, the light blush on his cheeks told a different story. The ace shuffled in place so that he faced away from the Phantom, too unsure of how to confront what had just happened.

Naoya turned his azure eyes over to his parents, locating them so he could express his excitement about being jolted around on a train ride, but he found them awkwardly standing and avoiding each other. His mom kept sliding a tentative thumb over his lips under the guise of rubbing his nose and there was a flushed, slightly pink patch of skin on his dad's neck. The reality-jumper grinned victoriously to himself, stifling the urge to laugh outrageously. Something had happened, that much he knew, and now they were on their way to a blooming relationship.

An idea pounded itself into his head and planted its roots. Maybe he could set them up so they had to talk to each other...

The devious smirk on his face grew. It was a good thing he chose to go to the amusement park.

He pulled an obsidian phone from his pocket and began a fresh message.

* * *

After an hour and fifteen minutes of suffocating silence between the two of the Seirin players, they stepped off at the platform for the amusement park. The good news was that the place wasn't at all crowded. Fare was cheap because it was out of season, just about every line had a wait time of only ten minutes, and food was reasonably priced (as odd as that was).

The downside was that the park was restricted to families, especially those with small children, and couples.

How were three teenage boys supposed to get in?

Before they could discuss a plan, Naoya said "Please wait here" then dashed forward and engaged in an animated conversation with the girl at the ticket counter. He spoke with such enthusiasm and used hand gestures that made discerning what they were talking about impossible. At first, she tossed her dark brunette hair flippantly, uninterested, but then changed her demeanor entirely. Suddenly she was all nods and grins, caught up in the dark redhead's fast pace.

"What do you think he's doing?" Kagami asked, not daring to meet the Phantom's eyes.

"I don't know," admitted Kuroko. "But it's working, apparently."

Naoya waved them over enthusiastically. The smile he wore was contagious, finding home on both the Shadow's and the Light's faces. The Seirin duo shared a look, agreeing wordlessly that what had happened on the train was not to be spoken of. They went silently to the counter and allowed their wrists to be tagged by the employee. She gave them a knowing smile (though what she knew was unknown to them) and let the three of them enter. The girl gave a soft, encouraging smile.

The next few hours were filled with what was to be expected on a trip to the amusement park. Naoya bounded from ride to ride with the eagerness of a five-year-old child, always sprinting to the next most exciting (read: colorful) attraction.

What the pair failed to notice was that every ride they went on were two-seaters. Even the roller coasters—a desperate last-ditch attempt by Naoya to bring his parents closer together—had a two-to-a-row capacity. Going on the extremists' joyride was akin to hell. The reality-jumper hated heights much the same way that his father hated dogs, but he was grasping for anything, any sort of contact between his parents, at that point. To his disappointment, his efforts amounted to nothing more than the blank look on Kagami's face as he studied the souvenir photo (gross, the girl behind us made a duckface) and the quiet sort of pleased accomplishment from Kuroko (that was my first time on a roller coaster, so I am quite amused).

Further than that, they hadn't realized that they had circled the length of the park thrice and went on all the rides twice—in the same order.

Naoya's patience (and tolerance for heights) was almost up; the couple had failed to show any change in behavior or hint of awkwardness to the slightest degree. They simply meandered after him in silence, Kuroko snapping pictures occasionally and making off-handed comments that Kagami could reply to with a non-committal grunt. He was tired and hungry after reaping nothing from his fruitless harvest. Wearily, he skip-staggered the group back towards the entrance, where the girl from before was waiting expectantly.

Slyly, the traveler shook his head and gave a forlorn look to an attraction that he had deliberately avoided. The brunette girl bubbled excitedly, swiftly exchanging positions with a coworker and stealthily approaching the oblivious Seirin duo. Naoya turned to them before she reached their location.

"Dad, can I run and get a snack real quick? You and Mom stay here, I'll be back. Just getting a funnel cake or something." Without protest or a glare of suspicion, the ace handed the reality-jumper a thousand yen bill.

"Don't take too long, we're still heading back to Maji's for late lunch when you get back."

Naoya sighed wistfully. _Sorry, _he apologized in advance, _but for a pair of Miracles to work out, your relationship seriously needs another one._ He distracted himself from what he was getting them into and studied the menu for custom funnel cakes, debating on whether or not getting vanilla ice cream on top was too much.

* * *

The redhead and bluenet stood quietly, refusing to acknowledge the need for conversation.

"Excuse me, sirs, are you leaving the park for today?" A perky brunette girl with clips in her hair came towards them, smiling warmly in the manner that park employees were supposed to.

Kuroko answered, "Shortly, but we're still—"

"In that case, please come with me!" she interrupted, taking the Shadow by the wrist. Kagami gave a startled "Oi!" and followed.

"Where are we going, miss?" the Miracle queried, slightly suspicious of her intentions.

She didn't look at them. "Simply park protocol for exiting the grounds today, sirs. There's a last task that must be completed by all visiting couples before leaving, no exceptions!"

Now _that _was worrying. "Visiting couples"? What did she mean by—?

Kagami and Kuroko stared at the place leering before them, nervous and at a loss for words. The gaudy decor, sleek design, the _name—_

"Erm, may I ask why...?" the bluenet struggled.

The ticket girl (from hell) beamed a saccharine smile. "Naturally, the park is limited to couples and families today. Matching wristbands," she indicated the red paper bands secured there, "identify you both as such. How else would you have gotten into the park?" She continued to usher them towards the building.

The sign advertising it read: _Lovers' Labyrinth._

Ruddy cheeks colored simultaneously, realization occurring to them both: when Naoya had gone ahead to negotiate, _this _was what he had bargained for.

Kagami cursed in his head; he should have questioned the fact that everyone else at the park was either attached to children or to another person at the hip (sometimes the lip). No doubt their son had sold them out to be a... an _item_. But what about himself?

There was no time to dwell on the topic any longer. The Light-Shadow combo had been led through the doors while they struggled to comprehend what the hell was going on. Their temporary state of inaction had sealed their fate. A girlish giggle was followed by the foretelling click of the entrance behind them. Kuroko noted the lack of doorknobs as he searched for them.

"The only way out is through the maze," he reported to the American. "Though I wish that the employee had given us further instruction." Azure eyes squinted into the poorly lit haze.

"There's a sign here that says to go through the maze, but I can't make out the kanji. What about you, Kuroko?"

"Ah..." he stalled. "I apologize, Kagami-kun, I have nyctalopia. ...otherwise known as night blindness. You're going to have to lead the way from here on out."

Kagami sighed, not so much from irritation than it was from having been duped (by Naoya, of all people) in a completely obvious manner. He simply hoped whatever lay ahead wasn't too challenging, but the damn title of the attraction still perturbed a small corner of his mind.

"Of course I'm leading. A shadow always follows the light."

* * *

The rough texture of the wall underneath his fingertips was the only thing that kept Kuroko from wandering face-first into a dead-end. He had advised that the two of them do this so as to not get lost; he and Kagami would eventually chance upon the end of the maze without having to backtrack.

It was the perfect plan, almost too simple for truth, until they were barred from proceeding by a person in the darkness.

"Hello there!" the person greeted. "You have successfully reached the first obstacle of Lovers' Labyrinth."

Kagami glanced behind him; Kuroko's eyes weren't keening in the darkness and stared blankly ahead, but his face mirrored the ace's confused expression. "What?"

"The first obstacle!" they repeated, their chipper voice decidedly female. "Surely, you know the rules for playing through the maze."

"We weren't told anything," Kuroko cut in, "other than the fact that all... park visitors are required to complete the attraction upon exit."

"Ah," she sympathized. "Well, then, allow me to enlighten you both! Lovers' Labyrinth is a maze, as you may notice, wherein there are several paths to the exit. However, along each different path is an obstacle, and by the end of the maze each couple will have encountered a total of ten obstacles. The objective of each obstacle intensifies the further along in the maze you are. The first obstacle is here on the first floor, the next five are upstairs on the second floor, and the final four are back down here."

"Obstacles?" Kagami repeated, skeptical of the whole thing.

"Yes, obstacles!" she chirped back. "Each one has a different objective, as I've just said."

Kuroko shot his Light a disdainful look (or at least tried to). "You really should listen to people when they're talking, Kagami-kun."

"And _you_ should look a person in the eye when you talk to them," he retorted. This entire ordeal was making him antsy. Sweaty palms and palpitations were something new to the American, and he didn't like them one bit.

"Anyway, your first challenge is to hug intimately for thirty seconds! Conditions are to use both arms and to hold each other tightly. Talking is allowed, but if either one of you lets go, I'll have to restart the timer. Ready when you are!"

Kagami blew out a breath he'd been holding; he needed time to prepare for this mentally, but he shook off the thought a moment later. Steeling up his nerves would have taken forever, whereas the hug would only last half a minute.

"Alright," the redhead mumbled in begrudging defeat, "let's get this over with." Before there was time to re-evaluate his mental state, he took the bluenet into his arms, wrapping them around small shoulders. He'd never really notice how lean Kuroko's muscles were until now. The Phantom raised his arms in kind, embracing the ace's torso around the waist, and nuzzled his face into the firm chest.

At least, that's what Kagami _thought_ he was doing.

"Kagami-kun, I can't breathe," he complained. In the dim lighting, Kagami could see that Kuroko's eyes really weren't adjusting to the dark, settling on his chin rather than his crimson eyes, which lay further up.

A blush nestled on the redhead's face and he was glad for the darkness. He didn't exactly know why he was reacting this way towards his teammate of almost a year. They hadn't known each other that long and Kagami hadn't really seen much of the shortstack because of his damned misdirection. There wasn't anything beyond a friendship, anything that would...

Kuroko's hands hifted higher up Kagami's back for a brief second, finding purchase among the tense muscles along his shoulder blades. Those hands were smaller than his, but their touch seemed to burn his back. Hyper-awareness invaded his mind, much too much for his feelings toward the small Miracle to be considered normal.

And suddenly, the searing sensation was gone, dropped from their place. Kagami tightened his grip subconsciously; he... kind of liked the feeling he got when—

"—Kagami-kun, are you alright?"

The American snapped his arms down to his sides in embarrassment. "I-I'm fine!" he managed to say.

"Congratulations!" the perky employee girl interrupted. Kagami palmed his forehead—he'd forgotten she was there at all. And that she'd witnessed the... "You've completed your first challenge! Please step this way and mind your footing. You'll come across challenge two in a heartbeat!"

She pulled something akin to a hidden level and the wall behind her swung out, revealing a set of stairs lit just as dimly as the rest of the building.

"I don't believe we can back out now, Kagami-kun, so please lead the way if you will."

"Not like I have a choice," he grumbled in response.

The dread in his stomach grew heavy. What had that girl said? 'The objectives intensify further along the maze'? And the fact that the place was designed for couples (something which he and Kuroko were decidedly not) left an ominous feeling about getting through the labyrinth.

Lovers were, after all, bound to do more intimate things than hugging.

* * *

**It is done! It took three weeks (yikes...) but it is done! Sorry, guys, midterms came up and college makes me flip every table in my mind (metaphorically speaking). At least I gots a four day weekend coming up since all my tests were crammed into Monday, Tuesday (today), and Wednesday! Whoo!**

**I can keep writing, have Chapter 9 up within the week, and get started on Chapter 10! (10? Wow, that was fast.)**

**So have a good time, my duckies, and please don't hate Mai! I swear there's a reason she did what she did!**

**Also, because of my schedule (like, not even kidding, I don't know why this college is hella unorganized) I might have to change my updates to just one chapter a week on Saturdays. Does that sound okay? (Please don't kill me...)**

* * *

**Fantita: **Ah, yes, time has certainly been kind to Ao—a certain person's personality. XD But he can be sensible and care for people when he wants (he was before Teikou fell apart) and the perviness... I have no excuse. He's just _that _kind of person, even to the point where he thinks about it in public. (Bad Aomine.) And Naoya! I shall get to that... within the next chapter or so.

**WynnSeeker (guest): **I know, I know, but Mai has her reasons! No one in this story is quite that psychotic (except Akashi). I'm glad you like the story so far! And Furi's husband? We shall see. (Soon. :3)

**cipuz: **Naoya's demise happens after this, but I hope you enjoyed the set-up for more fluff. :3 Sorry I kept you waiting!

**thecoldforest: **I'm sorry there wasn't any more! (But I have do to the thing in real life that I don't want to and arghh...) I'm glad you're in denial about Mai doing what she did, because that's how I tried to write the story. I'm glad you like all the pairings here, and I'm sorry I kept you waiting! X3

**Tsukaima Kyra: **Yeah! Update! Glad I could lift your mood! ^^ No, seriously, knowing that doing what I like doing makes other people happy makes me feel like I'm doing something worthwhile! So thank _you_. And angst? Well, these _are _our precious teenage boys here, ain't no getting through puberty without a fair share of blergh! (Sadistic yandere? Based on your reaction and review (which isn't a whole lot to go by) I'd say you like yaoi, or shounen-ai at the very least. :D)

**kroscetish: **Awww, thank you! And yes, it was _quite _the cliffhanger, but for now relax with some fluff~ And your guess is Akashi (like everyone else who guessed Furi's husband)? I'd say your reason is actually quite credible! And AkaFuri? Hah, you're going to LOVE the upcoming chapters, then! (*not being sarcastic in any way, shape, or form*)

**MikaE123: **Yes, Mai pushed him, but there is a reason! The AoKise fight, Mai pushing Naoya, Kise being serious, all of it has a reason. Some are rooted in the parallel world, but there are roots in the current world, too! And I know it's confusing and fluffy and anxiety-inducing all at the same time, but please wait! The strings of fate will be untangled in good time. Please continue to enjoy the story! (And Worried!Aomine makes you giggle? Well, now that he's got a daughter that looks like Kise, I can assure you there will be plenty of him!) (And please breathe; you need to be here for everything that has yet to come in both the story and in your own life!)

**Haiirookami: **Wahh, you all are worried about Mai pushing Naoya, huh? -u-" Sorry! But I'm glad that my story is worthy of all this fangirling (fanboy...ing?)! I'm happy you like my writing style and the fluff! (There's definitely more fluff to come, Kagami and Kuroko have only cleared one of ten challenges!) Next update shall happen within the week!

**cesajules: **Really? Few grammar or spelling mistakes? Thanks! I try to keep it down low because I want to make sure you all get nothing less than the best from me (or at least as close to the best as I can get) and I'm glad my story's unique! Thank you~ Please stay tuned for more updates!

**as to chapter 2 (guest) (2): **Ah, the KagaKuro daughter... She will appear in good time, as well as the other 5 that have yet to appear. Suzume takes after Takao so far, but who can say...? And an AoKise child X KagaKuro child love story? (Are you a mind-reader or something?) And yes, ALL THE CHILLUNS! They will be here shortly!

**more kagakuro (guest): **KAGAKURO MOMENTS! They came! And there will be more!

**DivineCluster: **I... yeah, noncon fanfic FTW! *blushes to oblivion and back* And Mai pushed him, but please don't be mad! There is a reason! But I do hope you stay for the next chapter, because it will be more fluff/angst goodness!

**Newbie'sHeart (guest):** Ah, yes, angst! And Kise's acting the way he is because of some things that happened between him and Aomine, unbeknownst to everyone else.

**Little Strawberry RiRin Chan: **Glad I "killed" you! My goal is to make this story awesome in a heart-wrenching, squeal-inducing fashion! And I shall update more (when I have time) and KagaKuro first, then the other peeps.

**Princess Lady Subaru: **M-ME? *glances around* THANK YOU! That made my day! I'm glad this story was good enough that you kept checking back on it (and I apologize for the lack of constant update) and I'm also glad that you dropped a review! (Plus, your icon is Ayame!) And yes, we shall get into the AoKise back story, but that is for another time, my ducky. (Good thing AoKise is your drug; I'll be your dealer from time to time.) And Akashi (might as well go ahead and say, given that something happens next chapter) is Furihata's husband in the parallel universe. Yup, yup, something happened in the parallel, too (which is _exactly _why Mai pushed him, damn you're good). No one dies and you didn't miss anything about the reasons for the parallel. They're still waiting for the right time and also for Ryuu, who can explain how they got there. I'll update soon, thanks for everything~

**Guest (guest): **Pshh, don't worry about annoying me, my not-so-college material classmates have that job. And yes, Mai PUSHED him... Sorry. (She had a reason.) And the not having typos thing is part of my pride as an English buff and part of my slight OCD... Aw, thank you~ Nice to know I'm appreciated this much. ^u^

**DarkWolf991: **Yes, she did... And yes, it was... I'M SORRY SHE PUSHED NAOYA! BUT IT WAS A NECESSARY PLOT POINT! ;A; But on the plus side, I'm glad you like Naoya so much! Sorry I couldn't update sooner.

**Guest (a different guest): **Sorry I kept you waiting! ^ ^" But the next chapter should be up within the week~

**cattocracy: **You... you _love _this...? *flails to infinity and beyond* I'm glad that I was able to balance them out! I like KagaKuro and they're the main focus, but everyone else is involved so I decided the spotlight will switch! I'm so happy you're glad you found my story, you don't even know how much my cheeks hurt from grinning stupidly to myself. vuv Ah, yes, we get to "the incident" within the week, so please look forward to it!

**Snipperita (guest): **Awww, don't be too hard on Mai! There's a reason why she pushed him, though her intentions were more a psychological reaction than malevolent. Sorry! And thank you for reviewing! I hope you also look forward to the next chapter.


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